Richard Flanagan's Question 7 wins the 2024 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction

Penguin Random House is thrilled to announce that Richard Flanagan's Question 7 has been awarded the prestigious Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. This accolade marks a historic achievement as Flanagan becomes the first author ever to win both the Booker Prize and the Baillie Gifford Prize, cementing his place as one of the most significant literary voices of our time.

In a testament to its unique form and defiance of traditional genre, Question 7 was longlisted for the 2024 Prix Médicis, shortlisted for the 2024 Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger (Best Foreign Book Prize) and named a finalist in the 2024 Prix Femina for best foreign novel. When asked how he felt about the book’s recognition by fiction and non-fiction awards alike, Flanagan told The Guardian he is ‘Delighted. Labels are for jam jars.’

Question 7 is a masterful exploration of love, history, and the interconnectedness of human lives. Beginning at a love hotel by Japan’s Inland Sea and ending by a river in Tasmania, the book navigates the choices we make about love and the profound chain reactions that follow.

This hypnotic work is both a love song to Flanagan's island home and a tribute to his parents. Exploring the idea that reality is never shaped by realists and that our lives often emerge from the stories of others and the narratives we create about ourselves, the book has resonated deeply with readers and critics alike, earning Flanagan this distinguished honour.

Toby Mundy, Prize director says ‘In winning the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024 with Question 7, Richard Flanagan has achieved an unprecedented double. No author has ever won both this prize and the Booker Prize for fiction. It is a staggering achievement, which confirms Richard Flanagan as one of the world’s most significant literary writers.”

Richard Flanagan's unique achievement in winning both the Booker Prize and the Baillie Gifford Prize underscores his unparalleled contribution to contemporary literature. Question 7 is a testament to his extraordinary ability to craft stories of all formats, hooking readers from the very first page.

Upon receiving the award, Flanagan announced that he would postpone accepting the £50,000 award until the Prize's sponsor, Baillie Gifford, shares a public plan to reduce its investment in fossil fuels and increase its investment in renewables.

'I will delay taking receipt of the money until the day that plan is announced,' said Flanagan. 'And on that day I will be grateful not only for this generous gift but for the knowledge that by coming together, in good faith, with respect and goodwill, it remains possible yet to make this world better.'

About Richard Flanagan

Richard Flanagan was born in Tasmania in 1961. His novels Death of a River Guide, The Sound of One Hand Clapping, Gould’s Book of Fish, The Unknown Terrorist, Wanting and The Narrow Road to the Deep North have received numerous honours and are published in 42 countries. He won the Man Booker Prize for The Narrow Road to the Deep North in 2014.

About the Baillie Gifford Prize

The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction is the UK’s premier annual prize for non-fiction books. Founded in 1998 by publisher Stuart Proffitt and PR executive Dotti Irving, it was established to garner equal recognition and prestige as the Booker Prize.

Known as the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction until 2016, the prize changed its name after Baillie Gifford investment house took on sponsorship. Today, it is widely recognised as Britain’s top non-fiction book prize, with winners receiving £50,000 and global recognition.