The Orwell Prize

Ukraine’s writers at war, and the life and death of Victoria Amelina Julian Evans on the life and work of Orwell Prize-winning Ukrainian author Victoria Amelina, and the fragmented nature of writing about war.

"War not only shatters linear stories but also destroys those writing them."

Julian Evans for the Royal Literary Fund on Ukraine’s writers at war, and the life and death of Victoria Amelina - winner of the 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Writing.

www.rlf.org.uk/posts/ukrain...

"In this country we are not troubled by lack of water. If anything we have too much of it, especially on Bank Holidays. As a result water hardly enters into our consciousness."

- George Orwell, #OTD 1944

“Journalism that refuses to look away”: Prospect to sponsor The Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils The prize, last awarded in 2023, will re-open for entries this Autumn

📰 In this month’s Orwell News:

The Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils returns for 2026, supported by @prospectmagazine.co.uk

Meet the 2025 Orwell Youth Prize winners!

Sam Hill in @politicalquarterly.bsky.social: Can we all belong?

👉 orwellfoundation.substack.com/p/journalism...

Can We All Belong? Insights from the The Political Quarterly Conversation 'Can We All Belong?' at the Orwell Festival.

"We lack not only a clear sense of who we are, but we are also devoid of policy which makes Britain feel fairer... and which dignifies those that come to this country in search of a new life."

politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/can-we-...

Sam Taylor Hill from @orwellprize.bsky.social

The Orwell Prizes - Five Books Expert Recommendations The Orwell Prizes are the UK's most prestigious prizes for politics books, pursuing Orwell's ambition "to make political writing into an art."

ICYMI, the winners of @orwellprize.bsky.social have been announced:
fivebooks.com/books/the-or...

Jo McMillan and Kevin Duffy

Thanks to the Orwell Foundation for a fantastic awards ceremony; to the judges for choosing The Accidental Immigrants as a finalist; to every writer there for deciding to write about things that matter. And many congrats to Donal Ryan. Cheers!

@orwellprize.bsky.social @ofmooseandmen.bsky.social

We're thrilled to be awarding The Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain's Social Evils again in 2026, sponsored by @prospectmagazine.co.uk.

This prize - for social reporting that shines a light on injustice and drives public understanding of complex issues - will open for entries in November.

Prospect to sponsor Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils Prospect magazine is delighted to announce it will become the sponsor of The Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils

Prospect is delighted to announce we will become the sponsor of the @orwellprize.bsky.social for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils!

This new sponsorship reflects Prospect’s commitment to supporting fearless reporting that shines a light on injustice.
www.prospectmagazine...

Orwell Prize winner says ceremony 'very emotional' Irish writer Donal Ryan, who was named as the winner of the prestigious Orwell Prize for Political Fiction for his novel 'Heart, Be At Peace', said the award ceremony was "very emotional".

Donal Ryan speaks to @rte.ie on his 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction win - for Heart, Be at Peace

"When you write about ordinary people and ordinary lives, or so-called ordinary people... it is going to have political resonance."

@doubledayuk.bsky.social

www.rte.ie/news/ireland...

Totally bowled over by this.

Victoria Amelina's husband, Alex, accepted the 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Writing on her behalf last night.

The £3,000 prize money will support the New York Literary Festival, which Victoria founded in the Ukrainian village of New York. Her work lives on.

Orwell prize for political writing awarded to novelist killed in Ukraine war Victoria Amelina wins with her unfinished book Looking at Women Looking at War while Donal Ryan takes the award for political fiction with an intimate portrait of an Irish town

Victoria Amelina, killed in the Ukraine war, wins the Orwell Prize for Political Writing posthumously for Looking at Women Looking at War. The prize will go towards the literary festival which she started in Donetsk

@orwellprize.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

Congratulations @jennykleeman.bsky.social, winner of the 2025 Orwell Prize for Journalism! 🎉

"Her writing brings out the humanity of her subjects with emotional intelligence and great sensitivity." - @mattwalshjourno.bsky.social, Chair of Judges

Read more: www.orwellfoundation.com/journalist/j...

Thrilled to have won the Orwell Prize for reporting homelessness among such an impressive group of finalists. Thank you to the judges, @orwellprize.bsky.social, my brilliant @mirror.co.uk colleagues & editors, charities who helped with our coverage & to those who trusted us to tell their stories.

The winner of the 2025 Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness is Simon Murphy, for his work in the Mirror.

Congratulations @simon-murphy.bsky.social, thank you to all our judges and to Reporting Homelessness prize sponsors @homelessnessimpact.bsky.social.

Many congratulations to James Hampshire, who has been awarded the 2025 Bernard Crick Prize for his article ‘“Full-Fat, Semi-Skimmed or Skimmed?” The Political Economy of Immigration Policy since Brexit’ @orwellprize.bsky.social

Read the winning article now: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Victoria Amelina, killed by a Russian missile in Ukraine on 1 July 2023, has posthumously won the 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Writing for Looking at Women, Looking at War.

"An unforgettable picture of the human consequences of war." Kim Darroch, Chair of Judges

@wmcollinsbooks.bsky.social

The winner of the 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction is Donal Ryan, for Heart, Be at Peace.

"For its clarity. For its perfectly pitched voices. For its humanity and kindness." - Jim Crace, Chair of Judges

Congratulations, Donal! 🎉

@doubledaybooks.bsky.social

"My starting point is always a feeling of partisanship, a sense of injustice."

George Orwell, real name Eric Blair, was born in India #OTD in 1903.

We're celebrating his legacy tonight at the 2025 #OrwellPrize Ceremony together with year's finalists and judges.

Stay tuned to your telescreens!

An evening with Nathan Waddell | Events at Waterstones Bookshops | Waterstones Events at Waterstones get you closer to the books and authors you admire most. Find information and tickets about An evening with Nathan Waddell today.

Last night, Helen Lewis & Nathan Waddell closed the Orwell Festival with a fascinating event exploring art, morality & "the genius myth".

Nathan's back in London this Thursday at Waterstones Hampstead, discussing his pioneering biography, A Bright Cold Day 👇

www.waterstones.com/events/an-ev...

Tonight! Grab a last minute ticket: t.co/wClohODe7W

“Filled a black hole in official data… and led to change.” – Robert Booth, judge

Katharine Swindell's crucial @insidehousing.bsky.social investigation is shortlisted for our 2025 Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness

@homelessnessimpact.bsky.social

www.homelessnessimpact.org/news/kathari...

12 Orwell Prize finalists: their books in their own words Winners will be revealed 25th June

The wait is almost over! The winners of the 2025 Orwell Prizes are announced this Wednesday, 25th June.

Over on our newsletter, 12 finalists - from Political Fiction to Political Writing - introduce their books in their own words.

📚 orwellfoundation.substack.com/p/12-orwell-...

Should great art excuse monstrous artists? Orwell didn't think so...

Over on our newsletter, the brilliant @helenlewis.bsky.social digs into one of George Orwell's most incendiary essays.

Read on - then join us live in London next week!

orwellfoundation.substack.com/p/should-gre...

Edward Wong's epic reading list - sparked by his Orwell Prize-shortlisted memoir At the Edge of Empire - takes in Tolstoy, Proust, Joan Didion, Hisham Matar and more.

📚 Browse the books and read @ewong.bsky.social's reflections on @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/empi...

Hidden homeless scandal as nearly double the number of women sleep rough than official stats This article by Simon Murphy, Senior News Reporter at the Mirror and has been shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness, was part of a special investigation on homelessness.

Nearly twice as many women are sleeping rough as official stats show.

@simon-murphy.bsky.social’s Mirror investigation into hidden homelessness is shortlisted for the 2025 Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness.

🔗 www.homelessnessimpact.org/news/simon-m...

@homelessnessimpact.bsky.social

Sill a few tickets left for tomorrow's shortlist event at @foylesforbooks.bsky.social, Charing Cross!

📚 Mishal Husain & @simonparkin.bsky.social will be in conversation with @thangamdebbonaire.bsky.social to discuss their moving, evocative books.

🎟️ Tickets: www.foyles.co.uk/events/orwel...

In a weeks time I'll be at

Conway hall in London for the @orwellprize.bsky.social
Awards ceremony.

I've bought 2 new T shirts.

@thebookseller.com
@newwritingnorth.bsky.social
@beelitmag.bsky.social
@northernfiction.bsky.social

"I never tire of solace."

Read @jomcmillan.bsky.social's wide-ranging reading list, sparked by her Orwell Prize-shortlisted novel The Accidental Immigrants. One of these books is not like the others.

From @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social: uk.bookshop.org/lists/the-ac...

@ofmooseandmen.bsky.social

I’m honored to be among these 12 Orwell Prize finalists for “At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China.” Here, we each try to explain why we write: lithub.com/making-sense...