Although I primarily read fiction I've been wanting to add more nonfiction to my TBR pile. In addition to reading nonfiction books about subjects I'm naturally interested in I also like to peruse book prize lists for guidance and recommendations of the best new nonfiction out there. The British Academy Book Prize for Global Understanding always offers an interesting selection of books which give informed accounts about subjects related to certain regions or countries. Through these compelling narratives and histories the authors also indicate how these issues effect the rest of the globe and help us appreciate our positions as citizens of the wider world. The books selected are also highly readable making it easy for anyone to enjoy and understand the subjects being discussed.
This year's winner will be announced on October 26 and there will be a free public event on October 24 (taking place in person and online) where all the shortlisted authors will be interviewed and discuss their work. These books come with stories from around the world from Chile to post-war Germany to China to life in a remote Swedish village. They encompass themes from the invention of the telephone and its impact on the deaf community to developing a more global understanding of the history of science – did you know Einstein's studies in quantum mechanics were inspired by the Bengali physicist Satyendra Nath Bose?! Or that it was the 17th century African botanist Graman Kwasi who discovered a cure for malaria? You can watch me discussing the prize and all six of the shortlisted titles here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmPNDjVE6iM
I just finished reading Jing Tsu's fascinating “Kingdom of Characters” which looks at the evolution and transformation of written Chinese over the past century which led the country to becoming one of the world's biggest superpowers. I enjoyed how she selected specific individuals who were instrumental in adapting the language so it could be more easily learned and replicated by citizens in China itself and foreigners. We follow these stories through periods of massive political and technological change. She gives accounts of rebel librarians and oppressed women who developed a secret language of their own. It's a fascinating and comprehensive account which helped me not only better understand the language itself but also China's relationship to the rest of the world.
Have you read any of these titles and what's the best nonfiction you've read recently?
