Monday 28 November 2011
- Baroness Helena Kennedy QC confirmed as final Book Prize judge
The Orwell Prize has today, Monday 28th November, finalised the judges for the 2012 Prize. Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, previously shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Books 2005 for her Just Law, completes the Book Prize panel alongside Miranda Carter (winner of the Orwell Prize 2002 for Anthony Blunt: His Lives) and Sameer Rahim (assistant books editor, Daily Telegraph). Judging this year’s Journalism Prize are Brian Cathcart (journalist, winner of the Orwell Prize for Books 2000 for The Case of Stephen Lawrence, professor of journalism at Kingston University) and Ian Hargreaves (former editor of The Independent, former director of BBC News and Current Affairs, professor of digital economy at Cardiff University). The judges for the Orwell Prize for Blogs 2012 are Suzanne Moore (journalist, The Guardian and the Mail on Sunday) and Hopi Sen (blogger, previously shortlisted and longlisted for the Orwell Prize). Entries for the Orwell Prize 2012 opened on Wednesday 9 November and will close on Wednesday 18 January 2012, for work published in 2011. Full entry details can be found on the Orwell Prize website. All entries must have a clear relationship with the UK or Ireland, and there is no charge at any point to enter any of the Prizes. For the first time, all three Prizes can be entered using an online entry form. This year’s longlists will be announced on 28 March 2012, with the shortlists being revealed on 25 April 2012. The winners of the Orwell Prizes 2012 will be announced at an awards ceremony at Church House, London, on 23 May 2012. The Prizes are awarded to the work which comes closest to George Orwell’s ambition ‘to make political writing into an art’. Each winner receives £3000 and a plaque bearing Orwell’s quote. ENDS 1. The Orwell Prize is Britain’s most prestigious prize for political writing. Every year, prizes are awarded to the work – for the book, for the journalism and for the blog – which comes closest to George Orwell’s ambition ‘to make political writing into an art’. 2. The Prize was founded by the late Professor Sir Bernard Crick in its present form in 1993, awarding its first prizes in 1994. The Media Standards Trust, Political Quarterly and Orwell Trust are partners in running the Prize, through the Council of the Orwell Prize. Richard Blair (Orwell’s son) is a sponsor, with support from A. M. Heath. 3. For further information, please contact the Deputy Director, Gavin Freeguard, at gavin.freeguard@mediastandardstrust.org, or on 0207 229 5722.