Edmund Richardson wins Baillie Gifford Prize for Alexander biography

Edmund Richardson has won the 50,000 pound Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2026 for Alexander: God, King, Man. The Bookseller and the Guardian Books reported that Richardson received the award at a ceremony in London on Wednesday evening. The title is published by Bloomsbury. [1][2]

The win marks the first time an author has won the award for a book about ancient history. According to the Guardian Books, Richardson's work accounts for the life of Alexander the Great and beat a six-strong shortlist for the honor. [1][2]

Richardson is an associate professor in the department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University. His previous historical works include Alexandria: The Quest for the Lost City, and he served as the editor for Classics in Extremis: The Edges of Classical Reception. [12]

Founded in 1999 as the Samuel Johnson Prize, the annual British award covers non-fiction writing in the English language across history, biography, science, and current affairs. It is open to authors of any nationality whose work is published in the United Kingdom. [11]