Richard Flanagan Wins 2024 Baillie Gifford Prize

Richard Flanagan has won the £50,000 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2024 for his book, Question 7, making him the first author to win both this prize and the Booker Prize for Fiction. The judges, led by Isabel Hilton, praised the book for its profound exploration of memory, history, trauma, love, and death, describing it as an 'astonishingly accomplished meditation'. Question 7 intertwines Flanagan's personal history with broader historical events, including his father's imprisonment near Hiroshima. Flanagan was unable to attend the award ceremony in London due to a prior commitment but delivered his acceptance speech via video. The panel of judges found unanimous merit in the book, leading to its selection without significant debate. In addition to the Baillie Gifford Prize, Question 7 has also been shortlisted for France’s Prix Femina Étranger.