Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 18 (2016) Winner
Philippe Sands
フィリップ・サンズ
Firippu Sanzu
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1960-10-17 （London, England）
- Nationality
- British, French
- Languages
- English, French
- Religion
- Judaism
- Residence History
- North London
Career
- Occupations
- Barrister, Author, Law Professor
- Active Years
- 1984-
- Affiliations
- University College London (Director, Centre on International Courts and Tribunals), 11 King's Bench Walk (chambers/barrister), Matrix Chambers (founding member), English PEN (former President), ICSID (panel of arbitrators)
- Memberships
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Honorary Fellow of the British Academy
- Influenced By
- Hersch Lauterpacht
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University College School | — | — | — | – | United Kingdom |
| Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge | — | Faculty of Law | BA (LLM first-class honours postgraduate) | 1979–1983 | United Kingdom |
| Harvard Law School (visiting scholar) | — | — | — | 1983–1984 | United States |
University College School
Period:
–
Country:
United Kingdom
Secondary education (Hampstead)
Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge
Faculty of Law
Degree:
BA (LLM first-class honours postgraduate)
Period:
1979–1983
Year of Graduation:
1983
Country:
United Kingdom
BA in 1982; LLM (first-class honours) in 1983
Harvard Law School (visiting scholar)
Period:
1983–1984
Country:
United States
One year as a visiting scholar after Cambridge postgraduate studies
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Henri Rolin Medal | — | — | Unknown | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Elizabeth Haub Prize | — | — | Unknown | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction | East West Street | ノンフィクション | Baillie Gifford | 受賞 |
| 2017 | Jewish Quarterly–Wingate Prize | East West Street | — | Jewish Quarterly | 受賞 |
| 2018 | Prix Montaigne | East West Street | — | Unknown | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Elected Fellow, Royal Society of Literature | — | — | Royal Society of Literature | 選出 |
| 2021 | Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (GCSK) | — | — | Government of Mauritius | 受賞 |
| 2024 | The George Barrett Award for Public Interest Law | — | — | Hillman Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2025 | Erich Maria Remarque Peace Prize | — | — | City of Osnabrück / Remarque Peace Prize | 受賞 |
Henri Rolin Medal
1999
Organization:
Unknown
Result:
受賞
Elizabeth Haub Prize
2005
Organization:
Unknown
Result:
受賞
Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
2016
Work:
East West Street
Category:
ノンフィクション
Organization:
Baillie Gifford
Result:
受賞
Jewish Quarterly–Wingate Prize
2017
Work:
East West Street
Organization:
Jewish Quarterly
Result:
受賞
Prix Montaigne
2018
Work:
East West Street
Organization:
Unknown
Result:
受賞
Elected Fellow, Royal Society of Literature
2020
Organization:
Royal Society of Literature
Result:
選出
Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (GCSK)
2021
Organization:
Government of Mauritius
Result:
受賞
The George Barrett Award for Public Interest Law
2024
Organization:
Hillman Foundation
Result:
受賞
Erich Maria Remarque Peace Prize
2025
Organization:
City of Osnabrück / Remarque Peace Prize
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
European Book Prize
1 appearances
Works
Major Works
East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity
2016 Non-fiction (history / memoir / legal history)Combines the author's family history with the historical development of international law, tracing the origins of the concepts of genocide and crimes against humanity through personal testimony and legal history.
memoryjusticeinternational lawfamily history
Adaptations
- [Documentary film] What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy / David Evans (2015)
Translations
- English edition
- French edition
- Japanese edition (translated)
Lawless World: America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules
2005 Non-fiction (international law / political commentary)Examines issues of international law surrounding events such as the 2003 Iraq War and critiques the impact of US actions on global legal norms.
international lawwar and lawpolitical critique
The Ratline: Love, Lies and Justice on the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive
2020 Non-fiction (investigative history)Investigates the post-war escape routes (ratlines) used by Nazi officials such as Otto Wächter, tracing the search for justice and the legacy of history.
post-war accountabilityresponsibilityhistorical concealment
The Last Colony: A Tale of Exile, Justice and Britain's Colonial Legacy
2022 Non-fiction (history / human rights)Explores the exile of the Chagos Islanders and Britain's colonial decisions, addressing questions of justice and displacement.
colonialismexileinternational justice
Adaptations
- [Theatre] The Last Colony (stage adaptation) (2022)
Bibliography
- Lawless World: America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules (2005)
- Torture Team: Rumsfeld's Memo and the Betrayal of American Values (2008)
- East West Street (2016)
- The Ratline (2020)
- The Last Colony (2022)
- 38 Londres Street (2025)
Adaptations
- What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy (documentary, 2015)
- The Last Colony (stage adaptation, 2022)
Translations of Works
- East West Street (Japanese translation)
- The Ratline (translation status varies by language)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- narrative non-fictionlegal and scholarly analysis integrated into proseinvestigative reporting style
- Recurring Motifs
- memory and family historyjustice and accountabilityorigins and application of lawexile and displacement
Legacy
Recognised as a writer and jurist who makes international law and human rights accessible to general readers. Works such as East West Street combine scholarly history with personal narrative and have won multiple international prizes. His courtroom practice and public interventions have influenced international debates.
Academic Societies
- Royal Society of Literature
- British Academy (Honorary Fellow)
In Popular Culture
- What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy (documentary)
Quotes
-
I want to be treated as Philippe Sands the individual, not Philippe Sands Brit, Londoner or Jew.
Source: Interview in The Guardian (2016) (2016)
Trivia
- Born to Jewish parents; his mother was French.
- Served as President of English PEN from 2018 to 2023.
- Works have been translated into many languages (e.g. East West Street translated into 24 languages).