- Venue
- The British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH and online
- Price
- Free
- Facilities
- Hearing loop, Live subtitling, Online and in person, Wheelchair accessible venue
- Event series
- Living with the planet
Meet this year's shortlist
Awarded since 2013, the British Academy's £25,000 non-fiction book prize celebrates bold and original thinking that shapes our world.
Watch the shortlisted authors of this year's prize in conversation as they explore the issues that define our time. Hear insights from their groundbreaking books that deepen our understanding of peoples, cultures and societies, offering fresh perspectives on global challenges, both past and present.
The six shortlisted books and authors for the British Academy Book Prize 2025 are:
- ‘Africonomics: A History of Western Ignorance’ by Dr Bronwen Everill
- ‘The Baton and the Cross: Russia’s Church from Pagans’ to Putin by Lucy Ash
- ‘The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years’ by Professor Sunil Amrith FBA
- ‘Sick of It: The Fight for Women’s Health’ by Professor Sophie Harman
- ‘Sound Tracks: A Musical Detective Story’ by Dr Graeme Lawson
- ‘The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World’ by William Dalrymple*
This event took place on 21 October 2025, the day before the announcement of the winner of the 2025 British Academy Book Prize.
It was chaired by award-winning journalising Rosie Goldsmith.
Afterwards there will be opportunities to purchase copies of the shortlisted books from London Review Bookshop and book signing with the authors.
The event was subtitled live by 121 Captions.
If you have any questions about this event, please refer to our Public Events FAQs. If your question is not answered, please email [email protected]
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The 2025 British Academy Book Prize is supported by the Hawthornden Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
Our bookshop partner is the London Review Bookshop.