The Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction

The Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction is the UK's premier prize for non-fiction books. The prize aims to reward the best of non-fiction and is open to authors of all non-fiction books in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. The Samuel Johnson prize is funded by an anonymous sponsor. The BBC televises the awards sand feature complementary programming – forming a key part of their commitment to diverse, intelligent and culturally enriching programmes.

The six titles on this year’s shortlist are:

Into the Silence: the Great War, Mallory and the conquest of Everest (M)
by Wade Davis

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: life, death and hope in a Mumbai slum (M)
by Katherine Boo

The Spanish Holocaust: inquisition and extermination in Twentieth-Century Spain (M)
by Paul Preston

The Better Angels of our Nature: a history of violence and humanity (M)
by Steven Pinker

The Old Ways: a journey on foot (M)
by Robert Macfarlane

Strindberg: a life (M)
by Sue Prideaux