Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams and the late Virginia Giuffre have jointly won the Freedom to Publish prize at this year's British Book Awards, marking the first time the award has been shared. The prize, presented by Yulia Navalnaya and supported by Index on Censorship, honours those who resist attempts at censorship and highlights threats to writers, publishers, and booksellers.
Wynn-Williams' Warning
Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook executive, was recognised for her bestselling memoir Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism, which alleges misconduct within Meta, including its approach to political influence, China, and teen wellbeing. In a rare public appearance at the ceremony, she warned of 'networks of powerful elites' using wealth and influence to silence dissenting voices. 'We are all living in a world that now, more than ever, is dominated by networks of powerful elites, whose wealth too often puts them above the law,' she said. 'As they rewrite the rules, they grow arrogant with entitlement and impunity.'
Giuffre's Posthumous Honour
Virginia Giuffre received the award posthumously for Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, which recounts the abuse she said she suffered at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and others. Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025, shortly before the book's publication. She had worked on the memoir with journalist Amy Wallace since 2020. Accepting the award via recorded message, Wallace said: 'We worked together for more than four years, and it was the honour of my career ... She always wanted this book to reach as many people as possible, and she particularly wanted it to help other survivors of sexual abuse.'
Legal Challenges and Free Speech
Wynn-Williams has faced legal restrictions since publishing her book. Meta secured a court order preventing her from publicly discussing aspects of the book, with fines of $50,000 for each breach. Referring to Giuffre, Wynn-Williams said: 'Virginia understood who silence protected and realised that only truth can protect everyone else.' She added that Giuffre faced 'coordinated suppression efforts, intimidation and litigation.' Mike Harpley, publisher at Pan Macmillan, praised Wynn-Williams's 'astonishing bravery,' noting: 'It is a breathtaking irony that while her book helped spark a global reckoning for social media, she is unable to take part in the conversation, silenced by a company that claims to champion free speech.'
Previous Winners and Broader Context
The Freedom to Publish award has previously been given to authors including Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, and Boris Akunin. Jemimah Steinfeld, chief executive of Index on Censorship, said the two books demonstrate how 'the rich and powerful use legal pressure to try to silence those with less capital.' Giuffre's brother, Sky Roberts, said she had 'inspired millions upon millions' by 'speaking truth to power,' adding that she showed 'an ordinary person can do extraordinary things.'
Other British Book Awards Winners
Elsewhere at the awards, AF Steadman was named author of the year, Philippa Gregory won the fiction prize for Boleyn Traitor, and Florence Knapp took debut fiction book of the year for The Names, a novel exploring the long-term effects of domestic abuse.
