The recipient of an “unprecedented” literary achievement has declared that he will not accept his recent £50,000 award until the sponsoring firm outlines a strategy to decrease its “investment in fossil fuel extraction”.
Richard Flanagan has been recognized as the recipient of the 2024 Baillie Gifford Prize for his memoir, Question 7 — a decade following his receipt of the Booker Prize for fiction, which he won for his sixth novel, The Narrow Road To The Deep North.
At 63 years old, he is the inaugural author to secure both of these esteemed awards.
Nonetheless, during his acceptance address for the Baillie Gifford Prize, he expressed that while he was “grateful” for the honor and did not wish to disparage the investment management firm, his “soul would be troubled” if he failed to address the looming threat of climate change.
Flanagan received the accolade for his memoir, Question 7. Pic: Baillie Gifford/PA
The Australian writer is engaged in a trek through the Tasmanian rainforest, thus he delivered his remarks via a pre-recorded message that was presented at the awards ceremony in London.
“In an era of considerable stress for authors, Baillie Gifford’s support is crucial, as it helps sustain not just this accolade, but literature in this nation, and I express my gratitude for that broader contribution to us all,” he stated.
“Yet my spirit would be troubled if I did not convey that the very rainforests and heathlands where I find myself tonight, unparalleled in the world, are existentially endangered by the climate emergency.”
He added that failing to discuss “the alarming effects fossil fuels are having on my island home… would contradict the ethos of my book”.
This year, Baillie Gifford encountered criticism after 50 authors aligned with a coalition of climate activists in threatening to boycott events sponsored by the firm in 2024.
Hay Festival was among events that withdrew from sponsorship agreements. Pic: Robert Melen/Shutterstock
Several literary festivals and art events terminated their associations with the company, including the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Hay Festival, and Wigtown Book Festival.
In his address, Flanagan further remarked that the “world is intricate, these issues are challenging, none of us are unblemished, we are all complicit”, emphasizing that while Baillie Gifford’s immediate investment in fossil fuel extraction is “already minimal”, he hopes to see it diminished even more.
“Prominent booksellers that stock my works are owned by oil corporations, major publishers that distribute my friends’ books are controlled by authoritarian figures,” he noted.
“No one here tonight should interpret my statements as a critique of Baillie Gifford, but rather the contrary — it reflects my confidence in Baillie Gifford’s integrity and the pursuit of a constructive path forward.”
The author expressed his desire to engage in dialogue with the company’s board, “both to convey my gratitude for their generosity and to elucidate how fossil fuels are wreaking havoc on my homeland.”
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He went on: “I would implore Baillie Gifford to act upon its own publicly articulated conviction that it sees no future in hydrocarbons, by providing the public with a plan to decrease its currently minimal direct investment in fossil fuel extraction and to enhance its investments in renewable energy sources.”
“Upon accepting this distinction, along with the funds associated with it, I wish to clarify a small stipulation — I will postpone the acceptance of the monetary award until the announcement of that plan.”
In response to Flanagan’s address, a spokesman for Baillie Gifford stated: “Congratulations to Richard on achieving the two most prestigious honors in the literary world.”
“We eagerly anticipate welcoming him to Edinburgh and continuing this vital conversation.”
