The judges for the UK's most valuable prize for non-fiction have announced
today the longlist for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize 2005.
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The prize is worth Β£30,000 to the winner.
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From 130 entries and 43 call-ins, the 20 titles on the longlist range
widely in subject matter.
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There are no fewer than three books about cities; three impressive first
books; five historical biographies; two science books; and a tribute to
the art of gardening.
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This year's Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize longlist is as diverse as it
is thought-provoking.
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Sue MacGregor, Chair of the judges, comments: "The
exciting thing about non-fiction is how all-embracing a category it is,
and how fluid. The judges have all had a good time going through the dozens
of entries. And there are interesting trends to spot.
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"From three writers with first books, to consummate biographers,
books inspired by some of the world's greatest cities to the gentle art
of gardening - this longlist reveals new trends and the current strength
of non-fiction.
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The spread is wide - the final choice will be the really hard task."
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The 2005 judging panel represents the finest in academic and literary
experience.
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Chaired by Sue MacGregor, the judges are mathematician
and broadcaster, Marcus du Sautoy; Sunday Times Deputy
Literary Editor, Andrew Holgate; historian and broadcaster,
Maria Misra; and journalist and broadcaster,
John Simpson.
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The shortlist for the prize will be announced at Waterstone's Piccadilly
in London on Thursday 12 May.
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The winner of The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2005
will be announced at an awards dinner at the Savoy Hotel in London on
Tuesday 14 June.
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction
2005 Longlist
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| Title |
Author |
Publisher |
| Perdita |
Paula Byrne |
HarperCollins |
| Blood and Roses |
Helen Castor |
Faber and Faber |
|
Like a Fiery Elephant
|
Jonathan Coe |
Picador |
| Mary Wollstonecraft |
Lyndall Gordon |
Little, Brown |
| Will in the World |
Stephen Greenblatt |
Jonathan Cape |
| Bury the Chains |
Adam Hochschild |
Macmillan |
| Parallel Worlds |
Michio Kaku |
Penguin Allen Lane |
| Stuart: A Life Backwards |
Alexander Masters |
Fourth Estate |
| Salonica |
Mark Mazower |
HarperCollins |
| Mutants |
Armand Marie Leroi |
HarperCollins |
| Maximum City |
Suketu Mehta |
Review |
| Leonardo da Vinci |
Charles Nicholl |
Penguin Allen Lane |
| Istanbul |
Orhan Pamuk |
Faber and Faber |
| In Command of History |
David Reynolds |
Penguin |
| A Death in Brazil |
Peter Robb |
Bloomsbury |
| The Command of the Ocean |
N.A.M. Rodger |
Penguin Allen Lane |
| Matisse the Master |
Hilary Spurling |
Hamish Hamilton |
| Hawkwood |
Frances Stonor Saunders |
Faber and Faber |
| A Little History of British Gardening |
Jenny Uglow |
Chatto & Windus |
| The Italian Boy |
Sarah Wise |
Jonathan Cape |
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Former Winners of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR Samuel Johnson
Prize
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1999 Stalingrad by Antony Beevor
2000 Berlioz: Servitude and Greatness by David Cairns
2001 The Third Reich: A New History by Michael Burleigh
2002 Peacemakers: The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 by Margaret Macmillan
2003 Pushkin: A biography by T.J.Binyon
2004 Stasiland by Anna Funder
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Notes to Editors
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The judges may be available for interview and can be contacted through
Colman Getty PR.
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The winner of The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2005 will
be announced at an awards dinner at the Savoy Hotel in London on Tuesday
14 June.
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction is open to books in
the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel,
biography, autobiography and the arts. Books published in English by writers
of any nationality are eligible for the prize, provided they are published
in the UK between 1 May 2004 and 30 April 2005.
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction is managed by a steering
committee and administered by Colman Getty PR. The steering committee
is made up of
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Stuart Proffitt, Chair (Publishing Director, Penguin)
Antony Beevor (historian and author)
Mark Bell (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR)
Martin Grindley (independent bookseller)
Dotti Irving (Chief Executive, Colman Getty PR)
Adam Kemp (Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Arts)
Mervyn King (Governor, The Bank of England)
James Naughtie (broadcaster, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4's Today Programme)
Peter Straus (literary agent, Rogers, Coleridge and
White)
Martin Taylor (International Adviser for Goldman Sachs).
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR televises the awards ceremony and features complementary programming
on the channel and online support on bbc.co.uk/bbcfour
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR is part of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's portfolio of free-to-air, licence fee-funded
channels.
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction logo is available from
Colman Getty PR.
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