Established in 2017, the RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards support writers with their first commissioned works of non-fiction with 3 awards – one of £10,000, one of £5,000 and one of £2,500. This year’s Awards were judged by Leila Aboulela, Fiona St Aubyn and Tom Burgis.
Congratulations to our 2023 winners:
£10,000 – Oliver Basciano – Outcast: A History of Us Through Leprosy (Faber & Faber)
Outcast is an important book about social connectivity and resilience. Taking leprosy’s 4,000-year history – and its enduring contemporary significance – as its central conceit, this work of astonishing narrative non-fiction is not so much a biography of a disease as it is a biography of what we understand to be ‘us’ and a potential ‘them’. It reveals how state repression of people with a disease – that is not particularly contagious – was used as a blueprint for other forms of racial, colonial, religious, economic and gender discrimination, from social Darwinism in Europe under Nazi and Soviet subjugation, to South African apartheid and the favelas of Brazil and beyond. The themes of Outcast are kaleidoscopic and global in scope, told through the lives and voices of those affected.
On receiving the Award, Oliver said:
‘”I am delighted to receive the RSL Giles St Aubyn award for non-fiction. Through first hand reportage, patient interviews and archival research, Outcast tells the story of leprosy, a disease with a 4000-year-old history – and which is not in fact particularly contagious. It reveals how state repression of people with leprosy was used as a precursor to other forms of colonial, racial, religious and economic discrimination, and how patients and activists undertook an incredible fight for justice. The themes of the book are big, ambitious ones, but are told through the voices of those affected, globally, past and present. I am incredibly proud that this award will help their stories be heard.”
Judge Leila Aboulela said:
‘Oliver Basciano’s Outcast is a sophisticated and wide-reaching project which delves into the global history of leprosy and its present-day relevance. Basciano uncovers – with astute understanding and compassion – how state repression of patients came to be used as a model for racial and settler colonialism segregation. The result is a fascinating, stirring and rich testimony of humanity’s fear of the unclean and the other: those pushed away and those who fight back against stigma and oppression.’
Watch Oliver’s reaction below!
£5,000 – Taj Ali – Come What May, We’re Here to Stay: A Story of South Asian Resistance (Manchester University Press)
Come What May, We’re Here to Stay seeks to document South Asian political activism in its various guises throughout the 20th Century. In the historiography of anti-racism in Britain, there has been a significant focus on anti-fascist groups such as Rock Against Racism and the Anti-Nazi League, but there is limited attention paid to self-organising within ethnic minority communities. Through extensive research of newspaper archives and oral history interviews, Taj Ali seeks to retell the compelling stories of anti-racist resistance and how South Asians fought to defend their rights and their communities.
On receiving the Award, Taj said:
‘It is an absolute honour to win this award. South Asians in Britain have a rich tradition of political activism. Much of this is oral history and hasn’t been documented. I want to change that. The generous financial support will enable me to preserve a history that is at risk of being lost.’
Judge Tom Burgis said:
‘Taj Ali’s book is that precious thing: the untold version of a story we think we know. In the hands of this young writer of talent and determination, it promises to be an illuminating read. And, as hatred marches again, an urgent one.’
Watch Taj’s reaction below!
£2,500 – Katherine Dunn – Right Here, Right Now: The Hidden History of How the Global Positioning System Shaped the Modern World (Mudlark, Harper Collins)
Right Here, Right Now examines Global Positioning System, the network of U.S. government satellites that encircle the earth: a vast web that, in a matter of decades, has transformed the way we understand space and time, making us critically dependent on vulnerable technology we often forget is even there. It is a system that was conceived of as a military product designed for war, but which has since evolved into a vital everyday tool that tells us where we are and when at any given point. A thrilling, page-turning work of narrative non-fiction that touches on tech, geopolitics, international relations and economics – Right Here, Right Now explores this vulnerable but essential global system, lifting the lid on the invisible connections of the globe, from the space race to the phone in our pockets.
On receiving the Award, Katherine said:
‘Winning this award is a huge vote of confidence and I’m so delighted and thankful to the RSL and the Giles St Aubyn Award. This is a reporting-heavy book, and the support will make much of that on-the-ground work possible.’
Judge Fiona St. Aubyn said:
‘Right Here, Right Now stands out as a compelling and eye-opening account into the Global Positioning System. Originally developed in the US during World War ll, GPS has grown to become integral to all our lives. Katherine Dunn turns the story behind this into a gripping page-turner, taking us from its everyday use to its pervasive and invisible connections throughout the world.’
Watch Katherine’s reaction below!
Video animation by Liang-Hsin Huang