Imagine a book so captivating, so intimately revealing, that it wins one of the most prestigious literary awards—not just for its genre, but for its unprecedented format. Helen Garner’s How to End a Story has done just that, clinching the 2025 Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction and becoming the first-ever collection of diaries to claim this honor. But here’s where it gets controversial: can a series of personal entries truly rise to the level of groundbreaking nonfiction? The judges think so, and here’s why.
On a Tuesday evening in London, the £50,000 prize was awarded to Garner, an Australian literary icon, whose work has long been celebrated for its unflinching exploration of domestic life, creativity, and morality. Robbie Millen, chair of the judges and literary editor of The Times, hailed the collection as ‘a remarkable, addictive book,’ noting that the decision was unanimous. ‘Garner elevates the diary form,’ he said, ‘blending the intimate, the intellectual, and the mundane into something extraordinary.’
This isn’t Garner’s first brush with acclaim. At 82, she’s a towering figure in Australian literature, with honors including the 2023 Australian Society of Authors medal and the 2019 Australia Council award for lifetime achievement. Yet, this marks her first major UK literary prize—a testament to her ability to resonate across cultures and continents.
How to End a Story spans decades of Garner’s life, from the bohemian streets of 1970s Melbourne to the tumultuous breakdown of her marriage in the 1990s. The judges praised its ‘devastating honesty, razor-sharp wit, and ecstatic attention to everyday details.’ At 832 pages, it’s a hefty read, but Millen assures, ‘Garner is such good company—funny, original, self-deprecating, and endlessly fascinating—that you won’t want it to end.’
And this is the part most people miss: Garner’s diaries aren’t just personal reflections; they’re a mirror to societal shifts, a chronicle of love, loss, and the human condition. Rachel Cooke of The Observer went so far as to call them ‘the greatest, richest journals by a writer since Virginia Woolf’s.’
But let’s not forget the elephant in the room. Baillie Gifford, the prize’s sponsor, has faced fierce criticism for its investments in fossil fuels and companies linked to Israel. Last year, boycotts organized by Fossil Free Books led to the termination of partnerships with nine literary festivals. Even 2024 winner Richard Flanagan refused the prize money until the firm commits to reducing its fossil fuel investments—a demand that remains unmet.
Is it ethical to celebrate literary excellence while ignoring the moral complexities of its funding? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Looking ahead, Garner’s next work, The Mushroom Tapes: Conversations on a Triple Murder Trial, co-authored with Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein, is set to publish in the UK on November 20. Based on the infamous Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial, it promises to be another gripping exploration of truth and humanity.
Other shortlisted titles this year included The Revolutionists by Jason Burke, The Boundless Deep by Richard Holmes, Captives and Companions by Justin Marozzi, Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth, and Electric Spark: The Enigma of Muriel Spark by Frances Wilson. The judging panel, comprising Millen, historian Pratinav Anil, journalist Inaya Folarin Iman, and others, selected Garner’s work from over 350 books published between November 2024 and October 2025.
Founded in 1999 as the Samuel Johnson Prize, the Baillie Gifford Prize has honored luminaries like Antony Beevor and Katherine Rundell. But this year, it’s Garner’s turn to shine—and to spark debate. Does her win redefine what nonfiction can be? Or is it a one-off triumph? Let us know what you think.
To order How to End a Story or explore the shortlist, visit guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
