2006 - The Judges
Announcement

Robert Winston, Chair of the judges, made the announcement at the awards dinner held at London’s Savoy Hotel. He commented:

‘We had six outstanding books that each of the judges felt was a strong candidate for the prize.  This was an incredibly difficult decision and after a long discussion we all agreed that James Shapiro’s 1599 was a remarkable contribution to the understanding of our greatest cultural figure, William Shakespeare and our overall winner.  One judge felt it was ‘an object lesson in micro history’, another felt it was ‘a perfect little gem’. And in terms of its originality, the sheer pleasure and unusual insight into the kind of person Shakespeare was and what he wrote is immense.  The judges are thrilled to unanimously accord it this highest literary praise.’

Now in its eighth year, The BBC FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction celebrates originality and diversity in contemporary non-fiction.  Named in honour of the great critic, essayist, lexicographer, poet and biographer, the BBC FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize is the world’s richest prize for non-fiction, recognising works published in English in the UK, regardless of the nationality of the author.

The winning book was chosen from a shortlist of six, announced last month. James Shapiro receives a cheque for £30,000, and each of the other short-listed authors receives a cheque for £1,000.

Robert Winston was joined by an engaging and dynamic panel of judges who offered a wide range of literary, journalistic and academic skills and experience. They were theatre director and author Sir Richard Eyre; author and journalist Pankaj Mishra; novelist and columnist Cristina Odone; and Literary Editor of the Sunday Telegraph, Michael Prodger.