FT and Schroders unveil 2025 Business Book of the Year longlist

Tales of geopolitics and growth plus a rare novel headline this year’s contenders.

FT and Schroders unveil 2025 Business Book of the Year longlist

Geopolitics, economic theory and leadership stories populate the longlist, now totalling 16 titles selected from more than 500 entries. The standout is Alexander Starritt's Drayton and Mackenzie, a work of fiction in the running for the prize for the first time since 2010. The category mix includes studies of China and sanctions, tech power, and the social costs of growth. The prize offers a £30,000 purse and is backed by the Financial Times and Schroders, with Nikkei also involved.

Judges announced a two stage schedule. The shortlist will be revealed on September 24, and the winner on December 3. New faces join the panel: Nicolai Tangen of Norges Bank Investment Management and Schroders' Asia ex Japan research head Adam Osborn. The chair remains Roula Khalaf, editor of the FT, with an international slate of experts including investors, academics, and tech writers. Last year's winner was Parmy Olson's Supremacy, a deep dive into early AI pioneers.

The inclusion of fiction alongside non-fiction signals a shift in how business stories are told. A novel like Drayton and Mackenzie invites readers to feel the stakes of entrepreneurship and energy transition, while the other titles provide rigorous analysis of geopolitics, supply chains, and consumer culture. The trend may attract a broader audience, but it also risks conflating art with data. The prize's credibility rests on clear separation of narrative and factual analysis, even as the best books blend both curves to illuminate global trends.

With the panel leaning international and the topics turning toward digital economies and climate issues, the longlist mirrors a world where business decisions cross borders daily. It raises questions about what counts as expertise and who gets to tell the story of innovation. If the award continues to prize readability without sacrificing rigor, it could become a barometer for how readers perceive power in markets, technology, and policy.

Highlights

The list invites readers to rethink how business shapes the world