The 2017 Financial Times and McKinseyBusiness Book of the Year Award
November 10, 2017
The Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award has been awarded to Amy Goldstein and her excellent book on Janesville, Wisconsin in the aftermath of a GM plant closure.
"Business writing takes many forms." writes Helen Barrett of the Financial Times, "Reportage is rarely one of them."
Rare, perhaps, but not never. The Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award was announced earlier this week in New York City, and it went to Amy Goldstein's excellent book of reportage, Janesville: An American Story. Beside the prestige, the award comes with a £30,000 prize. Each of the five runners-up received a cheque for £10,000.
Lionel Barber, Editor of the Financial Times and chair of the panel of judges, said of the book:
Janesville is about the new industrial age and how you deal with it. I think it addresses deeply important policy issues, such as skills and retraining. But it's also a humane portrait of people and their community.
Janesville is a deeply reported story that raises critical questions about the impact of economic disruption on communities, without offering simplistic answers, It is an American story, as the subtitle suggests, but also a truly global one.
You can listen to a podcast with Amy Goldstein on writing Janesville, and find out more about this year's award on FT.com.
