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- Home The Orwell Prize is the pre-eminent British prize for political writing. There are two annual awards: a Book Prize and a Journalism Prize. They are awarded to the book, and for the journalism, which is judged to have best achieved George Orwell’s aim to ‘make political writing into an art’.
- The Award About: The Orwell Prize is the pre-eminent British prize for political writing. There are two annual awards: a Book Prize and a Journalism Prize. They are awarded to the book, and for the journalism, which is judged to have best achieved George Orwell’s aim to ‘make political writing into an art’.
- The Award About: The Orwell Prize is the pre-eminent British prize for political writing. There are two annual awards: a Book Prize and a Journalism Prize. They are awarded to the book, and for the journalism, which is judged to have best achieved George Orwell’s aim to ‘make political writing into an art’.
- History History: In 1993, Bernard Crick (through his long connection with The Political Quarterly) had negotiated with them a guarantee of additional funding to launch and administer two annual Orwell Prizes for political writing, one for a book and one for journalism.
- Who's Who Who's Who: The Orwell Prize is administered by the Orwell Trust, the board of The Political Quarterly, and the Media Standards Trust. You can find out more about the Trustees, Board Members and MST employees here.
- How to Enter How to Enter: The Orwell Prize aims to encourage good writing and thinking about politics, about or associated with political and moral dilemmas, problems and ideas which raise issues of public policy or political concern construed in the broadest sense (including social and cultural concerns). Writing, in other words, which strives to meet George Orwell’s ambition to ‘make political writing into an art’.
- Key Dates Key dates: You can find dates for all major events, including submission deadlines and prize announcements, here.
- Judges Judges: Since the first annual Orwell Prizes were awarded in 1993, many distinguished persons from literature and journalism have served on its judging panel, including Carmen Cahill, James Cornford, Malcolm Dean, David Hare, Ian Hargeaves, Richard Hoggart, Lisa Jardine, Angela Lambert, Penelope Lively, Joyce Macmillan, Blake Morrison, Andrew Motion, Andrew O’Hagan, Tom Paulin, Esme Percy, Donald Trelford, Lynne Truss, Marina Warner and Gwyneth Williams. Sir Bernard Crick was chair of the judges until 2005, a position now held by Professor Jean Seaton.
- Longlist Longlist: Beginning with this year's prize, the longlists for the Book Prize and Journalism Prize will be officially announced.
- Justin Webb Justin Webb's four longlisted radio broadcasts for the Orwell Prize 2008.
- Clive James Clive James' radio broadcasts, longlisted for the Orwell Prize 2008.
- Shortlist Shortlist: This year’s judges shortlisted the following.
- Shortlist Announcement 2008 The announcement of the shortlists for the Orwell Prize 2008.
- Anton La Guardia Anton La Guardia, shortlisted for the 2008 Orwell Prize, discusses his work.
- Clive James Clive James, shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2008, talks about his work and George Orwell.
- Wild The first chapter of Jay Griffiths' 'Wild', shortlisted for this year's Orwell Prize.
- Palestinian Walks The first chapter of Raja Shehadeh's 'Palestinian Walks', shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2008.
- The Islamist An extract from Ed Husain's 'The Islamist', about radical Islam in Britain. Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2008.
- Bad Men A chapter from Clive Stafford Smith's book 'Bad Men', shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2008.
- Clive Stafford Smith A interview with Clive Stafford Smith, human rights lawyer and author of 'Bad Men', shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2008.
- Marina Lewycka An interview with Marina Lewycka, author of 'A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian' and 'Two Caravans', shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2008.
- Palestinian Walks An exclusive seventh chapter from Raja Shehadeh's 'Palestinian Walks', Orwell Prize 2008 Winner.
- Two Caravans The first chapter of Marina Lewycka's 'Two Caravans', shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2008.
- Winners Winners: 'Orwell is a hero and a model whom we vainly strive to imitate. To be associated with his name, as an Orwell Prize winner, is not just an honour but also a call to action.' Timothy Garton Ash, Journalism Winner, 2005
- Winners All the previous winners of the Orwell Prize, at a glance.
- Raja Shehadeh The speech given by the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority upon honouring Raja Shehadeh, winner of the Orwell Prize for Books 2008.
- Special Prizes Special Prizes: Winners of special Orwell Prizes, occasionally awarded by the judges.
- Events Events: Find details, read reports and view images of events held by and for Britain's pre-eminent political writing prize.
- Awards Ceremony 2008 More photographs from the Orwell Prize 2008 Awards Ceremony.
- Awards Ceremony 2008 Watch parts of the Orwell Prize Awards Ceremony 2008, including speeches and citations.
- Alastair Campbell and Tony Benn Listen to Alastair Campbell, Tony Benn and Jean Seaton discuss political diaries, politics and the media at the Orwell Prize's first Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival event.
- Awards Ceremony 2008 Photographs from the Orwell Prize 2008 Awards Ceremony.
- Has the Left Stopped Thinking? Video clips of the debate, 'Has the Left Stopped Thinking?', held to mark the announcement of the Orwell Prize 2008 Shortlists.
- Awards Ceremony 2008 Johann Hari's acceptance speech upon winning the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2008.
- Works Orwell Prize Website
- D. J. Taylor: Orwell and the Rats An essay by one of the leading Orwell biographers on Orwell's obsession with rats.
- Loraine Saunders: The Unsung Artistry of George Orwell An extract from Loraine Saunders' 'The Unsung Artistry of George Orwell', her book on Orwell's narrative voice.
- George Orwell: Poetry and the Microphone An essay on radio poetry by George Orwell.
- Dione Venables: Orwell - Plain Speaking and Hidden Agendas Dione Venables on reading - and re-reading - Orwell, his 'plain-speaking' and hidden agendas.
- Ben Pimlott: Introduction to 1984 An introduction to '1984' by the late Ben Pimlott, historical biographer, journalist and Orwell scholar.
- D. J. Taylor: Orwell's Face An essay from one of the leading Orwell biographies on Orwell's obsession with faces.
- George Orwell: The Pagan An early poem by George Orwell, addressed to his childhood friend Jacintha Buddicom.
- George Orwell: Suggested by a Tooth Paste Advertisement An early poem by Orwell inspired by, as the title suggests, toothpaste adverts.
- Peter Davison: Orwell - Religion and Ethical Values An essay by one of the leading Orwell scholars, on the place of religion and morality in Orwell.
- George Orwell: The Road to Wigan Pier (extract) A passage on food, from 'The Road to Wigan Pier'.
- George Orwell: A Dressed Man and a Naked Man A poem written by Orwell in 1933.
- George Orwell: On a Ruined Farm near the His Master’s Voice Gramophone Factory A poem by George Orwell from 1934.
- George Orwell: A Nice Cup of Tea Orwell describes how to make the perfect cuppa in the Evening Standard.
- D. J. Taylor: An Oxfordshire Tomb Orwell's latest biographer discusses what motivated him, and provides a short history of Orwell biography.
- D. J. Taylor: Orwell's Voice A short essay, by one of the leading Orwell biographers, on the voice of George Orwell.
- George Orwell: A Happy Vicar I Might Have Been Arguably, one of Orwell's most famous (and best) poems.
- George Orwell: from Looking Back on the Spanish War' A poem, about an Italian soldier Orwell met while fighting in the Spanish Civil War.
- George Orwell: In Defence of English Cooking A column by George Orwell in the Evening Standard, defending English cooking - mainly from the English themselves.
- Ben Pimlott: Introduction to Orwell's England An introduction to a collection of essays by George Orwell on England and the English, by political biographer and journalist Ben Pimlott.
- Sir Bernard Crick: Orwell as a Comic Writer One of Orwell's foremost biographers looks at the satire and humour in Orwell's work.
- George Orwell: Gordon Comstock’s poem from Keep the Aspidistra Flying The poem which preoccupies the main character throughout Orwell's novel.
- Colin Brush: 'It was a bright cold day in April...' Colin Brush, senior copywriter at Penguin, discusses briefly how to choose 'blurbs' for new Orwell editions.
- George Orwell: 'Free Will' A very short dramatic script by a young Orwell, written in 1920.
- George Orwell: Summer-like for an instant A poem of Orwell's published by The Adelphi in 1933.
- Eric Hobsbawm: Intellectuals and the Spanish Civil War One of Britain's greatest left-wing historians looks at the role of intellectuals in the conflict that nearly cost Orwell his life.
- Sponsors Sponsors: The Orwell Prize relies on – and is most grateful for – the support and generosity of its sponsors.
- Life and Work Life and Work: The works of George Orwell, born Eric Blair in 1903, still resonate today: his vision of a totalitarian society has passed into everyday language, and his journalism still inspires. In this section, you can learn more about the man behind the mass of novels and essays, with a biography from a leading Orwell scholar, and exclusive access to the Orwell Archive.
- Feature: British Cookery Orwell's essay on British Cookery, and some more thoughts on food and drink.
- Feature: Orwell and Poetry Explore some of Orwell's poems and thought on poetry.
- Biography Biography: By D. J. Taylor, author of Orwell: The Life (2003). GEORGE ORWELL, the pen-name of Eric Arthur Blair, was born on 25 June 1903 in Motihari, Bengal, where his father, Richard Walmesley Blair, was working as an Opium Agent in the Indian Civil Service, into what – with the uncanny precision he brought to all social judgments – he described as ‘the lower-upper-middle classes’.
- Archive Archive: A life in pictures. See Orwell at rest, Orwell at work, and even Orwell at war. Look at everything from the notes he made on his journey to Wigan Pier, to his Spanish medical certificate, to the manuscript of 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'.
- Orwell Book Club Orwell Book Club: Interested in discussing one of Orwell's novels? Want to know what others think of the shortlist? Got a question that someone might be able to answer? Ask your questions, share your opinions and start your debates here.
- Book Club Book Club: The Orwell Book Club has been designed for you to have your say on any of the books shortlisted for the Orwell Prize, or any of George Orwell's own works. Whatever your age, level of study or level of interest, feel free to dip in and share your opinions, ask questions or begin a debate.
- Reading Group Reading Group: Interested in discussing one of Orwell's novels? Want to know what others think of the shortlist? Got a question that someone might be able to answer? Ask your questions, share your opinions and start your debates below.
- Contact Contact: You can get in touch with us by email, post and phone, or join our Facebook group.
- Newsletter Newsletter: If you'd like to be kept in touch with Orwell Prize developments, be the first to hear about exciting new website features, or find out about our events before anyone else, sign up for our newsletter here!
- Press Press: We're very proud of the Orwell Prize and the values it embodies, and we'd love for more people to hear about it! For all press enquiries, please contact the Orwell Prize Administrator: gavin.freeguard@mediastandardstrust.org
- FAQs FAQs: Here are some Frequently Asked Questions, now hopefully Frequently Answered Questions...
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- Site Map Site Map: All of the sections of this site can be accessed by following the links here. If you still can't find what you're looking for, or would like some assistance, please contact us.
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