- Paul Anderson (journalist, author, academic, editor of Orwell in Tribune: ‘As I Please and other writings 1943-7’)
- Stuart Evers (Author of ‘Ten Stories about Smoking’ and ‘If This is Home’; book reviewer)
- Charles Allen (historian, author of Orwell Prize-longlisted ‘Kipling Sahib’)
- Jan Montefiore (Professor at University of Kent, author of ‘Kipling’ and editor of Kipling’s forthcoming ‘The Man Who Would be King and other stories’)
- Chaired by Tony Wright (Former MP for Cannock Chase, Professor of Government and Public Policy at UCL, co-editor of Political Quarterly)
Speakers
For Orwell;
For Kipling;
Details
Both Orwell and Kipling wrote about the British Empire, having both been born in India. Both are known to people who haven’t read a word of their work, whether through Nineteen Eighty-Four or The Jungle Book. Both were intensely political writers, who wrote poetry, prose and for the press. But was Orwell or Kipling the greater writer? Whose work resonates more today? And for whom will you vote after our panel have made their respective cases?