LONDON (AP) 鈥� EMBARGOED UNTIL 1845GMT
A chilling, thriller-like account of how a nuclear war might unfold and two award-winning novelists are among finalists announced Thursday for Britain鈥檚 leading .
American writer Annie Jacobsen鈥檚 鈥淣uclear War: A Scenario鈥� is one of six books shortlisted for the 50,000 pound ($66,000) Baillie Gifford Prize. The book, which the judging panel called 鈥渄eeply researched and terrifying,鈥� offers a minute-by-minute account of what might happen if a rogue state launched nuclear missiles at the Pentagon.
Australia鈥檚 Richard Flanagan, best known as a novelist, is a finalist for his memoir 鈥淨uestion 7.鈥� Flanagan won the Booker Prize for fiction in 2014 for his novel 鈥淭he Narrow Road to the Deep North.鈥�
U.S. writer Viet Thanh Nguyen, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction with his novel 鈥淭he Sympathizer,鈥� made the list with the autobiographical 鈥淎 Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial.鈥�
The other Baillie Gifford Prize contenders are British biographer Sue Prideaux鈥檚 鈥淲ild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin,鈥� Belgian author David Van Reybrouck鈥檚 decolonization history 鈥淩evolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World鈥� and British doctor Rachel Clarke鈥檚 medical journey 鈥淭he Story of a Heart.鈥�
Founded in 1999, the Baillie Gifford Prize recognizes English-language books from any country in current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. It has been credited with bringing an eclectic slate of fact-based books to a wider audience.
was John Vaillant鈥檚 real-life climate-change thriller 鈥淔ire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World.鈥�
The winner will be crowned Nov. 19 at a ceremony in London.
The Associated Press
