Edmund Richardson won the £50,000 Baillie Gifford prize for nonfiction with a biography of Alexander the Great. Richardson, a classics professor, says the ancient ruler "wants to transform the world – and he leaves it in ruins." He draws a parallel to contemporary politics, noting that "people are finding that there are limits to what unlimited wealth and power can do, and that humanity catches up with you, whether you like it or not." Alexander dominated the world for a decade before being brought down by military overextension more than 2,000 years ago. His first biographer was crucified.