Guardian chief culture writer Charlotte Higgins’ “Ukrainian Lessons” longlisted for 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize

Charlotte Higgins’ “Ukrainian Lessons: Art in a Time of War,” which explores culture, art, and resistance in Ukraine during Russia’s full-scale invasion, has been longlisted for the 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. Higgins is The Guardian’s chief culture writer.

Higgins is one of 13 authors selected for this year’s longlist. The six-title shortlist will be announced Oct. 1, and the winner will be named Nov. 4. The winner will receive 50,000 pounds. The prize’s official website describes it as the United Kingdom’s premier annual award for nonfiction.

“Ukrainian Lessons” was published Aug. 20 by Penguin Random House. Higgins began working on the book after her first reporting trip to Ukraine in autumn 2022, seven months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. She initially travelled to the country to cover a literary festival, and the experience shaped her subsequent work on the book.

Drawing on more than two decades of cultural journalism, three years of reporting trips to Ukraine, and her background in classics, Higgins examines the relationship between war, art, and everyday life. The book focuses on the role of culture in Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion and attempts to erase Ukrainian identity.

The book’s cover was created by Ukrainian illustrator Serhiy Maidukov. 

Higgins has written several books on culture and history, among them “Under Another Sky,” “Red Thread,” and “Greek Myths.” She is also a recipient of a Classical Association award and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

As reported earlier, Higgins told Chytomo that her engagement with Ukrainian culture deepened after she met Ukrainian artist Pavlo Makov at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Their conversation introduced her to Ukrainian culture and debates around decolonization, prompting her to explore how Ukrainian artists were responding to and resisting Russia’s invasion through their work.

She first travelled to Kyiv in October 2022 and has since returned to Ukraine multiple times. Her reporting has covered efforts to protect Ukrainian cultural heritage, contemporary poetry, theater, debates around decolonization, and the work of artists during the war. Her reporting trips have also taken her to Sloviansk, the area around Izium, and Kharkiv.

Higgins also shared that one of her most significant realizations was how often Ukrainian culture had been subjected to erasure, citing Taras Shevchenko’s exile, Alla Horska’s murder, Sergei Parajanov’s imprisonment, Vasyl Stus’ death in the Gulag, and the mass killings of Ukrainian cultural figures in the 1930s.

She also stressed the importance of giving international audiences greater access to Ukrainian culture, pointing to the need for more Ukrainian films in cinemas, plays on international stages, literary translations, and exhibitions of Ukrainian visual art. “Understanding Ukraine through its culture is vital,” Higgins told Chytomo.

The 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize longlist was announced Sept. 3. The award covers nonfiction across fields including current affairs, history, politics, science, biography, travel, and the arts.

Images:  Penguin Random House