A distinguished panel of judges from the Biographers International Organization (BIO) is proud to announce the five books that have been short-listed for the 2024 Plutarch Award, the only international literary award for biography judged exclusively by biographers. These five biographies uphold the high standard set by earlier Plutarch winners for the quality of research, the literary merit of the writing, and the originality and significance of the project.

You will find this year’s five short list titles, in alphabetical order by author’s name, listed below. Detailed information for each longlisted title, including the Committee’s notes, is available HERE.

Jonathan Eig, King: A Life  (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Howard Fishman, To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse (Dutton)

Lisa M. Hamilton, The Hungry Season: A Journey of War, Love, and Survival (Little, Brown and Company)

Prudence Peiffer, The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever (Harper)

Yepoka Yeebo, Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World (Bloomsbury)

The winner of the 2024 Plutarch Award for the Best Biographer of 2023 will be announced on Friday, May 17, at the annual BIO Conference in New York City. Information about the conference can be found HERE.