The Orwell Prize

The IAS has been the home of The Orwell Foundation at UCL since we arrived in 2016.

Together, we've hosted brilliant scholars and run countless events "Orwellian" themes, from surveillance technology to poverty and Empire.

We will always be grateful for the team & community for making us welcome.

Kafka goes to China The journey of Franz Kafka’s works from Europe to Mao-era China shaped generations of writers.

The curious tale of Kafka’s reception in China (placed beside Orwell’s), my first for @engelsbergideas.bsky.social, engelsbergideas.com/essays/kafka... cc @orwellprize.bsky.social @wwborders.bsky.social @chowleen.bsky.social @bdralyuk.bsky.social

How George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four predicted the global power shifts happening now Orwell is feted for the farsightedness of his geopolitical vision as long ago as the 1940s. But a lot of writers were thinking along similar lines.

Our @theconversation.com piece discusses how Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four predicted the global power shifts happening in the world today. theconversation.com/how-george-o... @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social @jwassers.bsky.social @iashedinburgh.bsky.social @harvard.edu

Trump’s ‘American Dominance’ May Leave Us With Nothing The president’s moves in Venezuela foretell a new global system.

"Orwell’s world is fiction, but some want it to become reality." - @anneapplebaum.bsky.social for @theatlantic.com

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

How George Orwell’s 1984 predicted the global power struggles happening now Is art replicating life when it comes to Orwell’s most influential novel? Emrah Atasoy and Jeffrey Wasserstrom investigate

A year & a day ago, I joined 2 writers I admire, D.J. Taylor & Sandra Newman, at an @orwellprize.bsky.social event on Orwell 75 years after his death www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-f... --if held now, the event would surely have had more on geopolitics www.the-independent.com/news/world/g...

What January taught George Orwell about control and resistance Like many of us, Orwell saw January as a month to be endured rather than enjoyed.

"Orwell never wanted to be sentimental about nature, or about the seasons. But he did think that seasonal cycles tell us important things about our dreams, complicating our myths of power and control."

Read @drnjwaddell.bsky.social in @uk.theconversation.com

theconversation.com/what-january...

Black and white photo of a glum elderly couple seated outside a tiny tea room in an English town, with several tea cups on the table before them.

The cup that cheers.

How do you make the perfect cup of tea? ☕️

George Orwell had strong opinions, even during rationing. In 1946, with just 2 oz of tea a week, he insisted:

“One strong cup of tea is better than 20 weak ones.”

Read A Nice Cup of Tea ↓

orwell.substack.com/p/all-true-t...

A promising new plan for ending homelessness in England, and how we can help it succeed Ligia Teixeira, Chief Executive, reflects on England’s new National Plan to End Homelessness. She highlights that one of the most significant aspects of the strategy is its explicit recognition that h...

A vital read for anyone thinking of entering the #OrwellPrize for Reporting Homelessness.

Lígia Teixeira reviews England's new Plan to End Homelessness & the changes needed to make it work: www.homelessnessimpact.org/news/a-promi...

@homelessnessimpact.bsky.social

#Homelessness #Journalism

Trump thinks Europe doesn’t cut it. We will have to look after ourselves | The Observer

"The message from across the Atlantic... is clear: Europe is going to have to learn to look after itself."

The Orwell Foundation's incoming Chair of Trustees, Sir Kim Darroch, was in the pages of The Observer this Sunday.

observer.co.uk/news/columni...

1984 revisited: George Orwell would be relieved at how we’ve done It’s common to suggest the great dystopian novel was full of warnings that have largely come true. But the evidence shows otherwise

“George Orwell would be relieved at how we’ve done.”

Great to see Steven Pinker’s Orwell Lecture featured in @thetimes.com. He traces how the world has changed since 1984 was written & argues that Winston Smith’s faith in humanity ultimately holds true.

Read here: www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Welcome on board, James! 🫡

James's new book, LOST BOYS, is a personal journey through the "manosphere" - which could be a great way into this year's Youth Prize theme...

HIRED, his investigation into low-wage Britain, was longlisted for The Orwell Prize in 2019!

@atlanticbooks.bsky.social

The Orwell Prizes 2026 open for entries, judges announced | The Orwell Foundation The Orwell Foundation is now accepting entries for its six annual Orwell Prizes, the UK’s most prestigious prizes for political writing and reporting. The Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Ev...

Thanks for sharing! Could we send over some more information about this year's Orwell Prizes? There are a number of new opportunities.

NB the award in the list above is a separate project, run by our friends at the Orwell Society.

www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-f...

Thinking of volunteering with The Orwell Youth Prize?

We have a new training slot, next Tuesday 2 December, 4-5pm.

Email admin@orwellyouthprize.co.uk for more info!

@acitizenshipt.bsky.social @englishassociation.bsky.social @politicalquarterly.bsky.social @newwritingsouth.bsky.social @newwritingnorth.bsky.social @poetrysociety.org.uk @artsemergency.bsky.social 🙏

✏️ Volunteer with The Orwell Youth Prize!

We are always looking for experienced writers and educators to join our brilliant volunteers - and there’s still time to sign up for our training sessions tomorrow (1-2pm GMT) and Wednesday (2-3pm GMT).

Find out more: orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-y...

Londoners - level up your creative career in Virtual Production! 🎬

Applications are open for a FREE 12-week Unreal Engine bootcamp, with hands-on LED wall experience, live briefs, industry mentors and portfolio support.

Limited spots - register your interest here:
https://bit.ly/3JwQe8m

Volunteering | The Orwell Foundation How you can help support our young writers

The @orwellprize.bsky.social is looking for experienced professionals to volunteer as Readers for the Orwell Youth Prize.

Help give young people without strong academic support networks the chance for constructive advice on their writing.

Very excited to be on the judging panel for the 2026 @orwellprize.bsky.social in Political Writing, chaired by Rohan Silva, alongside Katie Prescott, Sam Bowman and Lawrence Freedman. Looking forward to reading and discussing—get your submissions in now!
www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-p...

"The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them."

Subscribe to Orwell Daily for curated highlights from Orwell's legendary journalism, delivered "on the day": orwell.substack.com/p/every-nati...

The Orwell Youth Prize gives every UK student the chance to:

✍️ Write creatively and critically, inspired by Orwell
📢 Make their voice and ideas heard
💡 Receive tailored feedback to make their work shine

Our 2026 theme? TRUTH. Find out more: www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-y...

Entry is now open for the 2026 Orwell Prizes in six categories, with new judging panels revealed.

Thanks to prize sponsors @prospectmagazine.co.uk, @homelessnessimpact.bsky.social & founding sponsor @politicalquarterly.bsky.social.

Find out more: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Richard Blair, Orwell's son, in action on Islay, as we launch the 2026 Orwell Youth Prize!

George Orwell's 1984 Becomes World’s First Double-Bound Book | LBBOnline Little Black Book, BBDO Nordics and the Dawit Isaak Library in Sweden launch the powerful protest against censorship by binding the classic shut on both sides

"To mark Banned Books Week 2025, the Dawit Isaak Library in Sweden... has created the world’s first double-bound book: a special unreadable edition of George Orwell’s 1984."

lbbonline.com/news/George-...

#Orwell #BannedBooks @bannedbooksweek.bsky.social

"The best books of any one age have always been written from several different viewpoints, some of them palpably more false than others." Politics vs. Literature, October 1946

#Orwell #OrwellQuotes #OrwellDaily

orwell.substack.com

Volunteering | The Orwell Foundation How you can help support our young writers

The @orwellprize.bsky.social is looking for experienced professionals to volunteer as Readers for the Orwell Youth Prize.

Help give young people without strong academic support networks the chance for constructive advice on their writing.

"How were those people to get home?" First published in Tribune, 6 October 1944

Subscribe to our newsletter, Orwell Daily, for curated extracts from George Orwell's journalism, diaries and letters - delivered 'on the day' they were first published: orwell.substack.com/p/no-bus-cou...

"Our society is not only so arranged that if you have money you can buy luxuries with it. After all, that is what money is for. It is also so arranged that if you don’t have money you pay for it at every hour of the day with petty humiliations and totally unnecessary discomforts..."

6 October 1944

"Orwell's values are a light in the darkness of these troubled times."

We are delighted to welcome Kim Darroch, former British ambassador to the US, as our incoming Chair of Trustees.

Read the full story via our website: www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-f...

"Orwell's values are a light in the darkness of these troubled times."

We are delighted to welcome Kim Darroch, former British ambassador to the US, as our incoming Chair of Trustees.

Read the full story via our website: www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-f...