Category: EventsTTTT

• Dr Patricia Clavin (Jesus College, University of Oxford)
• Will Hutton (The Observer, Executive Vice Chair of the Work Foundation)
• Mark Thompson (shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2009 with The White War, editor of Television Across Europe: More Channels, Less Independence)
• Chaired by Professor Jean Seaton (Director of the Orwell Prize)

The seventh of the Orwell Prize’s events at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2009.

‘I see it all. I see the posters and the food-queues, and the castor oil and the rubber truncheons and the machine-guns squirting out of bedroom windows. Is it going to happen? No knowing. Some days it’s impossible to believe it. Some days I say to myself that it’s just a scare got up by the newspapers. Some days I know in my bones there’s no escaping it.’ Orwell’s 1939 novel, Coming Up For Air, was written with war looming, a war created in part by political tensions that were the shrapnel of a global economic crash. With a credit crunch and global downturn now upon us, will political crisis follow? Is it going to happen, or is there some way of escaping it?

Video

• Richard Blair (George Orwell’s son)
• D. J. Taylor (author of Orwell: The Life)

The sixth of the Orwell Prize’s events at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2009.

Speaking in public for the first time, Richard Blair – George Orwell’s son – will be reminiscing about life with his father. Adopted by George and his wife Eileen in 1945 (Eileen dying later that year), Richard was brought up by his father, first in London and then on the Scottish isle of Jura. Richard will be talking to writer D. J. Taylor, Chair of the Orwell Trust and author of Orwell: The Life, which won the Whitbread Biography Award in 2003.

Video

• Mike Radford (director)
• In conversation with Jean Seaton (Director of the Orwell Prize)

The fifth of the Orwell Prize’s events at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2009.

‘The year of the movie, the movie of the year.’ 60 years after the publication of Orwell’s seminal dystopian novel, and 25 years after the release of this award-winning film (and the year itself), director Mike Radford answers questions following a screening of his work. The film’s stars include John Hurt as Winston Smith and Richard Burton as O’Brien.

NOTE: THIS FILM HAS A ’15’ RATING.

Video

• James Fergusson (journalist, author of Kandahar Cockney and A Million Bullets)
• Clare Lockhart (Director of the Insitute for State Effectiveness, former adviser to the UN and Afghan Government, co-author of Fixing Failed States)
• David Loyn (BBC Developing World Correspondent, author of Butcher and Bolt)
• Chaired by Professor Jean Seaton (Director of the Orwell Prize, author of Carnage and the Media)

The fourth of the Orwell Prize’s events at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2009.

What has foreign intervention achieved in Afghanistan? Operation Enduring Freedom was the first front in the ‘War on Terror’ to be opened following the attacks of September 11th 2001, and sought to remove the Taliban, the repressive regime which had allowed Osama bin Laden to operate in Afghanistan. Seven years later, the fighting continues – has intensified even – and foreign troops still lack an exit strategy. What does Afghanistan’s future look like?

Video

• Shirong Chen (China Editor, BBC World Service)
• Richard Dowden (Director of the Royal African Society, author of Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles)
• Lindsey Hilsum (International Editor of Channel 4 News, longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2009)
• Winston Mano (Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Westminster)
• Stephen Marks (China in Africa project coordinator, Fahamu)
• Chaired by Dr Suzanne Franks (Centre for Journalism, University of Kent)

The third of the Orwell Prize’s events at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2009.

Are we witnessing a new scramble for Africa? The ‘scramble for Africa’ in the late 19th Century saw a race between European powers for territory on the continent, and power and prestige everywhere. China, the rising global power, funds infrastructure projects across Africa. Film director Steven Spielberg withdrew as an artistic advisor to the Beijing Olympics over China’s role in Darfur. Chinese businessmen populate karaoke bars from Luanda to Lagos. How are China’s actions different from old-fashioned imperialism?

Video

• Shami Chakrabarti (Director, Liberty)
• Nick Cohen (author, journalist, shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Books 2008)
• Chaired by Professor Jean Seaton (Director of the Orwell Prize, co-author of Power Without Responsibility)

The second of the Orwell Prize’s events at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2009.

This debate, marking the 60th anniversary of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, asks how the novel can inform the present debate about civil liberties. In an age of terrorist threats, government databases and social networking, it is increasingly difficult to avoid references to Orwell’s classic satire on the totalitarian state and the surveillance society.

There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.

Video

• Dickens: Philip Hensher (novelist, critic, Booker Prize-shortlisted for The Northern Clemency)
• Orwell: Jean Seaton (Director of the Orwell Prize, academic)
• Dickens: Jenny Hartley (academic, author of Dickens and the House of Fallen Women)
• Orwell: Hardeep Singh Kohli (writer and broadcaster)
• Chaired by Francine Stock (BBC Radio 4)

The first of the Orwell Prize’s events at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2009.

In 1939, George Orwell composed a famous essay about Charles Dickens. ‘When one reads any strongly individual piece of writing, one has the impression of seeing a face somewhere behind the page,’ wrote Orwell. But in this contest between two of Britain’s greatest writers, which face will fit? Both Orwell and Dickens will have two advocates speaking up for them in this debate – and you, the audience, will get to vote on which is the greatest author.

• George Orwell: Charles Dickens
• Orwell Prize events at the Oxford Literary Festival 2010
• Orwell Prize events at the Oxford Literary Festival 2009
• Orwell Prize event at the Oxford Literary Festival 2008

Video

The Orwell Prize took nine events to the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2009 – click on the links below to watch video of, and find out more about, each event.

Monday 30th March

• 4pm: Orwell vs Dickens

Tuesday 31st March

• 4pm: Nineteen Eighty-Four and civil liberties

Wednesday 1st April

• 10am: Africa and China
• 4pm: Afghanistan

Thursday 2nd April

• 4pm: Screening of Nineteen Eighty-Four and Q&A with Mike Radford

Friday 3rd April

• 4pm: Richard Blair in conversation with D. J. Taylor

Saturday 4th April

• 4pm: 2009 and 1939 – how do we avoid political crisis after economic crash?

Sunday 5th April

• 4pm: What is the big Conservative idea?
• 6pm: Losing Russia?

• Nick Cohen (shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Books 2008 for What’s Left?, longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Books 2010 for Waiting for the Etonians)
• David Davis MP (Conservative, Haltemprice and Howden)
• Frank Field MP (Labour, Birkenhead)
• Douglas Murray (author and commentator)
• Chaired by Sean Maguire (Editor of Political and General News, Reuters)

This year’s shortlists – of 6 books, 6 journalists and 6 bloggers – were announced before a memorable debate on the effect of the financial crisis on party politics.

• Orwell Prize for Books Shortlist 2009
• Orwell Prize for Journalism Shortlist 2009
• Orwell Prize for Blogs Shortlist 2009
• Judges 2009
• Longlists 2009

Video

Speaker

• Andrew O’Hagan (novelist, writer)

Details

Andrew O’Hagan gave the George Orwell Memorial Lecture 2008 on ‘The English’.

Links

• Andrew O’Hagan: The English (full text)
• Andrew O’Hagan: The age of indifference (Orwell Lecture abridged, The Guardian)
• Orwell Lecture 2011: Alan Rusbridger (video)
• Orwell Lecture 2010: Ferdinand Mount (video)
• Orwell Lecture 2009: Hilary Mantel (video)
• Orwell Lecture 2007: Michael Rosen
• Birkbeck College: George Orwell lectures

Video

Speakers

• Lord (Paddy) Ashdown (former Lib Dem leader, diplomat, author)
• Peter Beaumont (The Observer, Journalism Prize Winner 2007)
• David Loyn (BBC developing world correspondent, shortlisted for the Book Prize 2006 for Frontline)
• Michela Wrong (journalist, shortlisted for the Book Prize 2006 for I Didn’t Do It For You)
• Chaired by Jean Seaton (director of the Orwell Prize)

Details

The Orwell Prize 2009 opened for entries – and announced a Special Prize for Blogs following the success of the Orwell Diaries – with a debate on ‘is journalism failing failing states?’

Links

• George Orwell: Homage to Catalonia
• Winner of the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2007: Peter Beaumont
• Oxford 2009: Afghanistan (featuring David Loyn, video)
• Launch 2012: Writing the Riots (video)
• Launch 2011: Poverty and the Spending Review (video)
• Launch 2010: What next for Burma? (video)
• Launch 2008: Orwell, ID Cards, the Citizen and the State

Video

Speakers

• Raja Shehadeh (winner of the Orwell Prize for Books 2008 for Palestinian Walks)
• In conversation with Andrew Franklin (publisher, Profile Books)
• Introduced by Sir Bernard Crick (founder of the Orwell Prize)

Details

Winner of the Orwell Prize, Raja Shehadeh, talks to his publisher, Andrew Franklin, about his winning book, Palestinian Walks.

Links

• Winner of the Orwell Prize 2008: Palestinian Walks, Raja Shehadeh
• Edinburgh Fringe 2009: Raja Shehadeh and Marina Lewycka

Audio

Details

The winners of the Orwell Prize 2008 were announced on Thursday 24th April 2008 from 7pm (drinks from 6.30pm), at a ceremony at the Foreign Press Association, London.

Dr Tony Wright MP was guest speaker for the evening.

Links

• Orwell Prize 2008: Winners
• The Orwell Prize and Johann Hari (statement, September 2011)
• Awards Ceremony 2011
• Awards Ceremony 2010
• Awards Ceremony 2009

Video

Speakers

• Tony Benn (former Labour MP, author of a number of editions of diaries)
• Alastair Campbell (former director of communications at Number 10 Downing Street, longlisted for the Orwell Prize 2008 for his diaries)
• Chaired by Jean Seaton (director of the Orwell Prize)

Details

To paraphrase the old maxim, all political careers end in failure – and memoirs. So what makes a good political diary? Two people well placed to comment – having just written best-selling political diaries themselves – are Alastair Campbell and Tony Benn.

Links

• George Orwell: Diaries 1938-42 (blog)
• George Orwell: The Road to Wigan Pier Diary (blog)
• George Orwell: Hop-Picking Diary (blog)
• Oxford 2011: Orwell Prize events (video)
• Oxford 2010: Orwell Prize events (video)
• Oxford 2009: Orwell Prize events (video)

Audio

Speakers

• Greg Clark MP (Conservative, Tunbridge Wells)
• Peter Hitchens (Mail on Sunday, shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2007)
• Will Hutton (The Observer, The Work Foundation)
• Denis MacShane MP (Labour, Rotherham)
• Matthew Parris (The Times, winner of the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2005)
• Jean Seaton (director of the Orwell Prize)
• Chaired by Sean Maguire (editor of political and general news, Reuters)

Details

This year’s Orwell Prize shortlists – of 7 books, 6 journalists and 6 bloggers – were announced at Thomson Reuters, before a debate, ‘Has the Left stopped thinking?’, about the future of the Left.

Links

• Orwell Prize 2008: Shortlists
• Orwell Prize 2008: Longlists
• Winner of the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2010: Peter Hitchens
• Winner of the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2005: Matthew Parris
• Shortlist 2011: Is it time to make monarchy history? (video)
• Shortlist 2010: Has the political class been fatally weakened? (video)
• Shortlist 2009: Are political parties bankrupt? (video)

Video

Speaker

• Michael Rosen (writer, former Children’s Laureate)

Details

This year’s Orwell Memorial Lecture was given by Michael Rosen, the writer, broadcaster and Children’s Laureate, at Birkbeck College. He chose as his subject ‘The Politics of Response: Orwell’s contribution to the questions of how we read and what reading is for’.

Links

• Michael Rosen: Orwell Lecture 2007 – The Politics of Response (full text)
• Gavin Freeguard: Orwell Lecture 2007 (blogpost)
• Orwell Lecture 2011: Alan Rusbridger (video)
• Orwell Lecture 2010: Ferdinand Mount (video)
• Orwell Lecture 2009: Hilary Mantel (video)
• Orwell Lecture 2008: Andrew O’Hagan (video)
• Birkbeck College: George Orwell lectures

Speakers

• Heather Brooke (journalist and author of Your Right to Know)
• Nick Cohen (journalist and author)
• David Goodhart (editor, Prospect)
• Jenni Russell (writer, commentator and broadcaster)
• Chaired by Martin Moore (director of the Media Standards Trust)

Details

The Orwell Prize, Britain’s pre-eminent prize for political writing, opened for submissions for its 2008 prize with a number of exciting announcements at London’s Frontline Club.

Prize money for each of the two awards (one for journalism, one for books) was trebled, from £1000 to £3000, thanks to the generosity of The Political Quarterly and Orwell’s son, Richard Blair. It was also announced that for the first time, the Prize would be administered in partnership with the Media Standards Trust.

The judges for 2008 were revealed: Annalena McAfee, journalist, author and founder of Guardian Review; John Tusa, former journalist and head of the BBC World Service and now chairman of the V&A Museum; and Albert Scardino, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and former executive editor of The Guardian. Jean Seaton, Professor of Media History at the University of Westminster, is the Director of the Prize.

And a new website – the Prize’s first – went live at 7pm, as it was officially unveiled by Jean Seaton. Professor Seaton said: “We may not live in 1984 but we live in a society where doublespeak corrupts public understanding, nationally and internationally and Big Brother still haunts us. Orwell’s austerity and radicalism are as relevant as ever.”

The launch also featured a debate on ‘Orwell, ID Cards, the Citizen and the State’ featuring David Goodhart, Nick Cohen, Jenni Russell and Heather Brooke. Click here to read a full account of the discussion.

Links

• Gavin Freeguard: Orwell, ID Cards, the Citizen and the State (blogpost)
• Winner of the Orwell Prize for Journalism 2011: Jenni Russell
• George Orwell: Nineteen Eighty-Four
• Launch 2012: Writing the Riots (video)
• Launch 2011: Poverty and the Spending Review (video)
• Launch 2010: What next for Burma? (video)
• Launch 2009: Is journalism failing failing states? (video)