When public discourse denigrates expertise, when politicians and Twitter trolls alike have learned to dismiss every criticism or uncomfortable truth as “fake” and media outlets compete for clickbait headlines, it’s not surprising to find a corresponding hunger for a deeper, more thoughtful form of engagement with ideas and for that – thankfully – there’s still no better medium than a book.
On Wednesday, the Baillie Gifford prize will be presented, Britain’s most prestigious award for nonfiction writing. Whichever of the six shortlisted authors takes home the £30,000 prize and the resulting boost to sales, it’s an opportunity for booksellers and publishers to remind the public of the current robust health of nonfiction writing. Not so long ago, nonfiction bestseller lists were dominated by cookbooks and celebrity memoirs, but over the past couple of years a noticeable shift has taken place.
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