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2010 sees the Bristol Festival of Ideas award its second annual Book Prize, worth £10,000, to The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett in association with Arts & Business. Currently one of the largest book prizes in the UK, the award is given annually to the book which presents new, important and challenging ideas, and which is engaging, accessible and rigorously argued.
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“Arts and Business are delighted to support this innovative award and the development of the Bristol Festival of Ideas private sector relationships.”
James Taljaard, Arts & Business
Winner of the 2010 Book Prize
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Announced on 19th May at a special awards ceremony, the winner of this year’s prize is The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. Around 130 books were submitted for the award with a shortlist of six announced in March. Click here to read reviews of The Spirit Level by Bristol Festival of Ideas fans. |
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All of the books selected for this year’s longlist were first published in the UK in 2009. Entries were considered in all genres including works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and prose. The 2010 judging panel comprised the following members:
Tim Dee
BBC Radio producer
Andrew Kelly
Director, Bristol Festival of Ideas, author and commentator
Suzanne Rolt
Director, St George’s Bristol
Judith Squires
Professor of Political Theory and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law at the University of Bristol
Adrian Tinniswood
Historian and author
Shortlist 2010
The following six books comprised the 2010 Book Prize shortlist:
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A Face to the World |
When China Rules the World |
The Master and His Emissary |
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Dead Aid |
The Idea of Justice |
The Spirit Level |
Book reviews
Click here to read reviews of the six shortlisted books by Bristol Festival of Ideas fans.
Author responses to being nominated
“I feel very honoured to be shortlisted for a prize that puts such a premium upon ideas, which is in itself such a remarkable ideas. And very honoured to be considered alongside such eminent and original thinkers”.
Laura Cumming
“I am honoured that the judges felt that my book was worthy of being shortlisted. And the fact that I spent a few years living in Bristol and teaching at the University adds a very nice personal dimension to it.”
Martin Jacques
“I have been really moved by the many e-mails and letters I have received from readers in every academic discipline, and in almost every conceivable walk of life, from QCs to cleaners. I am absolutely delighted to be shortlisted in such distinguished company for this prestigious prize, and if it helps bring what I have to say to an even wider audience that will be wonderful in itself.”
Iain McGilchrist
“I’m delighted that Dead Aid has been shortlisted for the Bristol Festival of Ideas Book Prize. It is a real honour for this work to be considered amongst such an illustrious list of other works”.
Dambisa Moyo
“Being nominated for a book prize is, of course, always a pleasure for authors and publishers. Our book sets out evidence which shows, simply and clearly, the enormous damage done to society by very large income differences between rich and poor. The Bristol Festival of Ideas Book Prize will help spread these ideas more widely, helping to ensure the well-informed public opinion on which our democracy depends.”
Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett
Longlist 2010
Twelve books were selected for this year’s longlist. Click here to see the longlist in full with reactions from the books’ publishers.
Suggested hashtag for Twitter users: #foiprize10
Timetable for next year’s prize
The timetable for the 2011 Book Prize Award is as follows:
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June 2010
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Launch
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30 November 2010
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Submissions deadline
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February 2011
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Longlist announced
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March 2011
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Shortlist announced
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March-May 2011
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Shortlist promotion
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May 2011
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Winner announced at a special Bristol Festival of Ideas Awards Ceremony
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Book Prize 2009
To find out who won the 2009 Book Prize, and who made the shortlist, please click on the link below. Audio and video recordings of the shortlist nominees can also be found here, along with reviews of the nominated books.