The Financial Times and Standard Chartered announced Tuesday the shortlist for the 2026 Business Book of the Year Award.
Now in its 22nd year, the award is an essential calendar fixture for authors, publishers and the global business community. Each year it recognizes a book that provides the “most compelling and enjoyable insight into modern business issues.”
This year’s shortlisted books, selected by 10 distinguished judges, are:
- “1873: The First Great Depression and the Making of the Modern World” by Liaquat Ahamed, Cornerstone (UK), Penguin Press (US)
- “Off the Scales: The Inside Story of Ozempic and the Race to Cure Obesity” by Aimee Donnellan, Fourth Estate (UK), St. Martin’s Press (US)
- “The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind and the Quest for Superintelligence” by Sebastian Mallaby, Allen Lane (UK), Penguin Press (US)
- “Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare” by Katrina Manson, W.W. Norton (UK & US)
- “Blood Will Flow: The Murderous Business of Oil and Gas” by Alex Perry, Ithaka Press, (UK)
- “Prophecy: Prediction, Power and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI” by Carissa Véliz, Swift (UK), Doubleday (US)
“This is a shortlist of impressive breadth and depth,” said FT editor Roula Khalaf in a statement. “All the books are captivating reads about significant trends affecting business, from disruptive new technology to geoeconomic turmoil. The authors dig deep, ask the big questions, and provide compelling insights into business, leadership and how to navigate uncertainty.”
The judging panel is chaired by Khalaf.
The winner will be announced on Dec. 2 at an event in London hosted by Khalaf, Standard Chartered Group Chief Operating Officer Tanuj Kapilashrami and Nikkei Inc. Executive Vice President for Global Business Daisuke Arakawa.
The winner will receive £30,000 and the author(s) of each of the remaining shortlisted books will be awarded £10,000.
Previous Business Book of the Year winners include: Stephen Witt for “The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang and Nvidia, the company shaping the future of AI,” and Parmy Olson for “Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT and the Race That Will Change the World.”
