The Orwell Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales. The Foundation runs the Orwell Prize, the UK's most prestigious prize for political writing. In addition to the Prizes, the Orwell Foundation also runs free public events, debates and lectures and provides free online resources by and about Orwell. Since 2014, they have also run ‘Unreported Britain’. The Orwell Youth Prize, a separate charity, work with young people aged 12–18 around the UK. The Orwell Youth Prize organises writing workshops for young people and runs a writing prize, culminating in an annual Celebration Day. The foundation is based at University College London, and is a registered charity no. 1161563.
Orwell Prize
The Orwell Prize, established in 1994, is an annual award recognising and rewarding the books and journalism that come closest to realizing Orwell's ambition to "make political writing into an art". Between 2009 and 2012, a third prize was awarded for blogging, and in 2015, The Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain's Social Evils was launched. For more information, including past shortlists and winners, see the separate Orwell Prize page.
Lectures and debates
The Orwell Foundation organises free public lectures and debates. There are currently two annual Orwell Lectures: the Orwell Lecture at University College London and, from 2017, the Orwell Lecture in the North at the University of Sheffield.
* The Orwell Prize Shortlist Lecture: ‘Nationalism should not be confused with patriotism’ – Our Divided Politics – Ruth Davidson
Previous Orwell Lecture in the North
2017: I've read all the academic texts on empathy – Grayson Perry
Orwell's Legacy
The foundation also organises events and anniversary celebrations about George Orwell. As the only website authorised by the Orwell Estate, the foundation also publishes online resources by and about Orwell, which can be read for free
Orwell Youth Prize
The Orwell Youth Prize works with young people aged 12–18
