Inaugural shortlist revealed for the Unwin Award 2025
The Unwin Award has announced the six writers shortlisted for the inaugural year of this new, literary award recognising non-fiction writers in the earlier stages of their careers as authors, whose work is considered to have made a significant contribution to the world. Worth £10,000, the Unwin Award recognises authors for their overall body of work, with the winner set to be revealed at a ceremony held at The Royal Institution on 1 April 2025. The six writers in contention are:
- Catherine Belton is the author of Putin’s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and then Took on the West anda former Moscow Correspondent for the Financial Times – campaigning against the type of SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) laws she had been a victim of following the publication of her debut book. The Unwin Award Judging Panel 2025 praised Belton’s deeply scholarly and investigative approach, and her continued bravery to champion free speech in the face of Russian intimidation.
- Caroline Criado-Perez is a writer, broadcaster and award-winning feminist campaigner, whose book Invisible Women won the FT & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award, the Books Are My Bag Readers’ Choice Award and the Royal Society Science Book Prize. The Unwin Award Judging Panel 2025 praised the scope of research, use of statistics, and the persuasive, resonant power of Criado-Perez’s writing, as well as the countless impacts of her work in influencing policy, research, news commentary and conversation.
- Helen Czerski is a physicist, oceanographer, broadcaster and author of three books, including Blue Machine, based at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London. The Unwin Award Judging Panel 2025 praised the way in which Czerski uses compelling data in her books to highlight ocean science literacy and the vital role the seas play in sustaining life, alongside the variety of ways in which readers have engaged with her work: from architects, parliamentarians, students, novelists and academics.
- Afua Hirsch is a writer, filmmaker, journalist, presenter, columnist and author of books including Brit(ish) – exploring Britishness, identity and belonging – for which she was awarded the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Prize for Non-Fiction. The Unwin Award Judging Panel 2025 praised the ways in which Hirsch’s writing interrogates our national identity post-Brexit, sharing her personal story in a way that has transformed how we talk about history, race and belonging.
- Guy Shrubsole is the author of three award-winning titles including The Lost Rainforests of Britain, and an environmental campaigner on climate and nature crises, working for a wide range of organisations from Friends of the Earth and the Right to Roam campaign to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Unwin Award Judging Panel 2025 praised Shrubsole’s lyrical, inspiring and educational prose, and the ways in which his work has shaped public understanding of land ownership, conservation, and our relationship with the natural world.
- Chris Van Tulleken is an infectious diseases doctor at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London, has a PhD in molecular virology from University College London where he is an Associate Professor, and is one of the BBC’s leading broadcasters and author of the acclaimed Ultra-Processed People. The Unwin Award Judging Panel 2025 praised Van Tulleken’s passion and knowledge of his subject, and the undeniable impact he has achieved in placing UPF into the news agenda and increasing public awareness and general conversation around what we eat.
Professor Shahidha Bari, Chair of The Unwin Award 2025 Judging Panel, said: “What a pleasure it has been to be part of the judging process for the first iteration of the Unwin Award: to explore the impact of astonishing writing beyond the page, and the many ways in which words can transform public awareness, influence policy, shape general conversation and much more. The shortlist reflects the power that books and publishing has across all facets of our lives – from national identity to the natural world, freedom of speech and gender politics. Congratulations to the six brilliant writers shortlisted.”
Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, said: “I am incredibly proud to present this inaugural shortlist for the new Unwin Award – made possible thanks to the generous support of the Unwin Charitable Trust – and to see these six incredibly talented authors in contention for our first prize. This shortlist is a wonderful showcase of the impact of publishing on the world, in a multitude of varied and vital ways. I’m thankful to our judging panel for their careful consideration, and I do not envy them in what I’m sure will be a challenging final decision!”
The Unwin Award – administered by The Publishers Association – is intended to champion and showcase the value of the UK publishing industry to the world. The Unwin Award has been made possible following a donation from the Unwin Charitable Trust.
The judging panel for the 2025 Award is chaired by Professor Shahidha Bari – an academic, critic and broadcaster – who is joined by John Cotterill, who is Non-Fiction Buyer at Waterstones, and Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, social entrepreneur, author, podcaster and speaker.
The Unwin Award Lecture runs in tandem with the literary award, and the 2025 Lecture will be delivered at the winner ceremony on 1 April, focusing on the value that publishing brings to society. The inaugural Unwin Award Lecture was delivered by esteemed historian and author Peter Frankopan at The Royal Institution in February 2024.