As Dr Johnson famously observed, ‘No man but a blockhead wrote, except for money.’ But even the wisest don’t write for all that much these days. The prevailing view is that the market for serious non-fiction is wilting. Therefore the publicity of prizes counts for double. Yesterday, the shortlist for the BBC’S Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction was announced. The nominees will get some coveted coverage on the Culture Show in the coming weeks.
The shortlist includes some familiar names to readers of this blog. John Stubbs has made the cut with his book, Reprobates, which re-casts the term ‘Cavaliers’ and re-imagines their role in the English Civil Wars. Stubbs wrote an introduction to his work for the book blog back in February.
Also, Spectator regular Matt Ridley’s The Rational Optimist, an original delve into the origins and effects of self-interest, is on the list.
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