The Orwell Prize

The Orwell Prize is Britain’s pre-eminent prize for political writing, and aims to encourage good thinking and good writing about politics in the widest sense. Each year, it awards two prizes – a Book Prize and a Journalism Prize – which reward the works that achieve George Orwell’s ambition ‘to make political writing into an art’.

‘Political writing’ is defined in the widest sense, encompassing (but not limited to) party politics, issues of public policy, social and cultural concerns, and works dealing with history, economics, morality, ethics, the media and the environment.

The Prize was established in 1994 by Sir Bernard Crick, using royalties from the hardback edition of his biography of Orwell, and money from Richard Blair (Orwell’s son), David Astor and other friends and admirers of Orwell’s (channelled into the Orwell Trust). Richard Blair and Political Quarterly have also funded the Prize since its inception. A. M. Heath and Reuters sponsor the Prize, and the Media Standards Trust became a partner for the first time in 2008.

Individuals, their editors or publishers are invited to submit entries in the English language, published or broadcast in the United Kingdom or Ireland, during the calendar year 2008. All entrants must have a clear relationship with the United Kingdom or Ireland. Full entry details can be found on the Orwell Prize website.

For the Orwell Prize 2009, a Special Prize for political blogs will also be awarded to celebrate the launch of the Orwell Diaries blog. You can find the entry form online.

The Director of the Orwell Prize is Professor Jean Seaton. The Director of the Media Standards Trust is Dr Martin Moore. The Administrator of the Orwell Prize is Gavin Freeguard.

For more information, visit the Orwell Prize website, or contact the Administrator of the Orwell Prize. You can also watch debates organised by the Orwell Prize, as well as interviews and media appearances, on the Orwell Prize YouTube Channel.