Books on empire, migrant crisis up for Baillie Gifford prize

LONDON (AP) — Books about Britain’s imperial past and the human face of the present-day refugee crisis are among the finalists for Britain’s leading nonfiction book award, the Baillie Gifford Prize. The shortlist announced Monday includes Harvard professor Caroline Elkins’ hard-hitting “Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire” and Irish journalist Sally Hayden’s “My Fourth Time, We Drowned,” which looks at the perilous journeys made by migrants. Books by U.K. writers Jonathan Freedland, Anna Keay, Polly Morland and Katherine Rundell are also among the finalists for the 50,000 pound ($55,000) prize. The winner will be announced Nov. 17 at a ceremony in London.