Orwell Foundation launches Festival of Political Writing

The Orwell Foundation is launching the Orwell Festival of Political Writing next month, featuring speakers including two of last year’s Orwell Prize-winners, Ali Smith and Joshua Yaffa, and former Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings.

The festival will run as a series of talks and panels from Wednesday 22nd June to Thursday 14th July. Alongside Smith and Yaffa, confirmed speakers include former Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings in his first public appearance since leaving No 10, environmentalist George Monbiot and the former governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten. The festival will be launched by Rebecca Solnit who is also delivering the annual Orwell Lecture, exploring themes from her book Orwell’s Roses (Granta).

There will be debates, panels and lectures, featuring writers from different disciplines. Several events will be streamed live, and the festival will culminate in the Orwell Prizes 2022 ceremony, for which the shortlists were revealed last month. Each winner will receive £3,000.

Director of the foundation professor Jean Seaton said: "This first Orwell Festival of Political Writing is an exciting new stage in the growth of the Orwell Foundation. The festival concentrates attention on the work of all of the finalists that our journalism and book prize judges have most valued. But it begins to open up tough discussions about things that matter with audiences. So it is thrilling, but answers a need in tough times."

The full festival programme can be viewed here.