John Vaillant has been crowned the winner of the prestigious 2023 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. His masterful work, “Fire Weather,” published by Sceptre, a division of Hodder & Stoughton, has garnered critical acclaim for its in-depth and eloquent exploration of an environmental and industrial calamity. The judges commended the book as a “meticulously researched, beautifully told and vitally relevant account.”
John Vaillant: winner of the 2023 Baillie Gifford Prize
The announcement of the winner was made by Frederick Studemann, the chair of judges, at a ceremony held at the Science Museum, with the support of The Blavatnik Family Foundation. This momentous event was shared globally through live streams on the Baillie Gifford Prize social media channels.
Read: Baillie Gifford Prize 2023: 6 outstanding books on shortlist
“Fire Weather” delves into the catastrophic 2016 wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta, at the heart of Canada’s oil industry. Vaillant’s narrative captures the horror of the disaster that transformed neighbourhoods into infernos, displacing 90,000 residents in a harrowing afternoon. This book serves as a stark reminder of the escalating dangers in our increasingly flammable world.
Vaillant, an author celebrated for his award-winning non-fiction works like “The Golden Spruce” and “The Tiger,” as well as his fiction debut, “The Jaguar’s Children,” has an impressive array of accolades to his name. These include the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Pearson Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction.
In a conversation with Toby Mundy, the prize director, on the READ SMART podcast, Vaillant shared insights into the terrifying speed and impact of modern wildfires. He drew parallels between the rapid spread of these fires and the accelerating pace of climate change. Reflecting on the Fort McMurray wildfire, he emphasised the scale of the disaster as a precursor to what might be expected in the future due to climate change.
How much is the Baillie Gifford Prize?
The Baillie Gifford Prize, celebrating its 25th anniversary, recognises excellence in non-fiction across various genres. This year, the prize increased its total value to £75,000, with the winner receiving £50,000 and each shortlisted author receiving £5,000.
Studemann, reflecting on “Fire Weather,” highlighted its blend of human stories, science, and geo-economics. He praised the book for its compelling narrative and its ability to engage readers with the urgent issue of our relationship with fossil fuels.
“‘Fire Weather’ brings together a series of harrowing human stories with science and geo-economics, in an extraordinary and elegantly rendered account of a terrifying climate disaster that engulfed a community and industry, underscoring our toxic relationship with fossil fuels.”
Frederick Studemann, Baillie Gifford Prize Chair of Judges
Other noteworthy contenders on this year’s shortlist included works by Hannah Barnes, Tania Branigan, Christopher Clark, Jeremy Eichler, and Jennifer Homans, each contributing significant works in the fields of current affairs, history, politics, science, and the arts.