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Patrick Radden Keefe’s London Falling shortlisted for Baillie Gifford Prize 2026

Patrick Radden Keefe’s captivating investigation, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth, has been shortlisted for the 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non Fiction.

Patrick Radden Keefe’s London Falling shortlisted for Baillie Gifford Prize 2026

The best-selling hit has regularly featured in top spot on the Sunday Times' Hardback Non-Fiction chart

Widely recognised as the world's most prestigious award for literary non-fiction, the Baillie Gifford Prize celebrates the very best in non-fiction writing. Keefe, who previously won the prize in 2021 for Empire of Pain, returns to the shortlist with a dark, forensic portrait of modern London.

Described by the judging panel as "the publishing phenomenon of the year", London Falling traces the tragic death of London teenager Zac Brettler, who fell from a luxury apartment building after leading a secret life posing as the son of a Russian oligarch. Following Zac's parents on their quest for answers, Keefe exposes the high-stakes deception and shadowy underworld lurking beneath the surface of a gilded city.

Fact File

  • Author: Patrick Radden Keefe
  • Imprint & Publisher: Picador (Pan Macmillan)
  • Subject Matter: An investigative narrative following the mysterious death of teenager Zac Brettler and his family's search for the truth through London's luxury developments and dark underworld.
  • Prize Details: The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction rewards the winning author with £50,000.
  • Winner Announcement: The winner will be named on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at BMA House, London.

Kirsty Lang, chair of judges for the 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize, commented:

'This is a charismatic shortlist which I hope will inspire more people to read non-fiction... At a time when many of us are trying to make sense of a complex and frightening world, non-fiction can help us find our way through.'

The judges highlighted London Falling as 'the story of one boy, one family and the whole city of London', praising its ability to bring new audiences to literary non-fiction.

The 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize Shortlist

The six titles shortlisted for the 2026 award span biography, history, political reportage and investigative narrative:

  • Nicholas Boggs, Baldwin: A Love Story (Bloomsbury Circus)
  • Anand Gopal, Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Revolution (Pluto Press)
  • Patrick Radden Keefe, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth (Picador, Pan Macmillan)
  • Edmund Richardson, Alexander: God, King, Man (Bloomsbury Publishing)
  • Matthew Sweet, The Great Dictator: A Life of Barbara Cartland (Hodder & Stoughton)
  • Andrea Wulf, The Traveller: The Revolutionary Life of George Forster and his Search for Humanity (Allen Lane)

The winner of the 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction will be announced on Wednesday 4 November.