| HOME | BESTSELLERS | NEW RELEASES | PRICE WATCH | FICTION | BIOGRAPHIES | E-BOOKS |
The Samuel Johnson Prize for Non Fiction Shortlist 2010
15 June 2010
The Shortlist has been announced for the Samuel Johnson Prize, an annual literary event sponsored by the BBC for the year's best non-fiction. The Prize celebrates the best non-fiction writing and includes Politics, History, Science, Current Affairs, Sport, Travel, the Arts, Biography and Autobiography. The Prize fund is the largest in the UK for non-fiction, with the winner receiving £20,000 from the awards BBC sponsors.
The award ceremony is televised on the BBC's Culture Show, which is presented by Andrew Graham Dixon, on Thursday 1 July, 11.20 – 12.20 pm, on BBC 2. The programme will discuss the six shortlisted books, the author's enthusiasm for the subject and the ability of the book in conveying their material.
This year's event will be chaired by 'Today' (Radio 4) Presenter, Evan Davies. He is joined by The Times Editor, Daniel Finkelstein; the author Stella Tillyard; the Editor of the New Scientist, Roger Highfield; and Author and Editor, Jan Dalley.
The six shortlisted books are:
Alex's Adventures in Numberland – Alex Bellos explains his fascination with the fact that maths covers every aspect of our lives from patterns in nature and the predictability of randomness.
Blood Knots – Luke Jennings 1960's childhood memoirs connect his experience of learning to fish, coming of age, and seeking lost waterways, on a journey of enlightenment towards understanding his personal history.
A Gambling Man – Jenny Uglow charts the risks that Charles II in 1660 in the 'decade of experiment' that explains the period known as The Restoration and its connection with science, the Church and the Royal Court.
Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human - Richard Wranghams theory that the development from eating raw to cooked food transformed the evolutionary process due to the increased speed of protein consumption enabling more time for brain development.
Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea – Barbara Demick explains the lives of six people in Chongin, North Korea, and the adversity and fear of the oppressive regime that means that people can live in the same home but be afraid to discuss their political concerns to each other.
Too Big to Fail: Inside the Battle to Save Wall Street – Andrew Ross Sorkin has access to the primary players in the global meltdown of the major financial institutions. He understands exactly the role that the most powerful and influential figures in politics and finance were able to exert in their battles with greed, ego and influence.
Follow the link to see the Samuel Johnson Prize Longlist.
Check out the best prices for these and our full catalogue of books using our real time price comparison service. Alternatively add these highly regarded books to our price watch service and ensure that you recieve a reminder as the books are reduced in price. These make fantastic gifts for friends and family and our service will send you an email as and when the books are reduced prior to Christmas.
