The Bookseller.com

4th July 2009

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Summerscale takes Samuel Johnson

16.07.08 Anna Richardson

Kate Summerscale has won this year's Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction for The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, in what is Bloomsbury's second win of the prize in a row, with judges describing the book as "absolutely riveting".

Summerscale took the £30,000 prize last night (15th July), beating fellow shortlisted authors Tim Butcher, Mark Cocker, Orlando Figes, Patrick French and Alex Ross.

Rosie Boycott, chair of judges, said: “Kate Summerscale has brilliantly merged scrupulous archival research with vivid storytelling that reads with the pace of a Victorian thriller. The book is a rare work of non-fiction that mimics suspense genre and leaves one gripped until the final paragraph. We can’t think of a better winner for the 10th year of the Prize.”

Boycott was joined by a panel of judges comprising literary editor of the Guardian, Claire Armitstead; poet Daljit Nagra; director of the Science Museum, Chris Rapley; and documentary maker and journalist Hannah Rothschild.

BBC4 will televise the awards ceremony this Sunday (20th July), featuring complementary programming presented by Kirsty Wark.

Media Anna Richardson Prize Kate Summerscale Samuel Johnson Prize for Non Fiction