FAQs

Here you can find the answers to some frequently asked questions. Please contact us if your question is not answered here.

What are The Orwell Prizes and what do they aim to do?

The Orwell Prizes aim to encourage good writing, reporting and thinking about politics. Every year since 1993, we have awarded prizes for books and journalism which come closest to George Orwell’s ambition ‘to make political writing into an art’.

The Orwell Prize for Books was originally awarded to a work of non-fiction or fiction. Thanks to the support of Richard Blair, we currently award two book prizes: The Orwell Prize for Political Writing and The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.

Our Journalism Prize rewards and encourages work in any medium, while The Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils, previously and for many years sponsored by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, has a special remit to encourage reporting which extends the reach of traditional media.

The new Prize for Reporting Homelessness, sponsored by the Centre for Homelessness Impact, aims to celebrate evidence-led reportage and/or commentary on homelessness in any medium.

The Orwell Foundation, which awards the Prizes, is a charity dedicated to promoting public understanding of and interest in politics and current affairs through free public events and various other projects. As the only website officially sanctioned by the Orwell Estate, we also publish work by George Orwell (including our Webby-shortlisted Orwell Diaries blog) and articles about Orwell as well as other online resources.

The Orwell Foundation is distinct from, but works closely with, the Orwell Estate, The Orwell Society, and The Orwell Trust.

How many awards are there?

At the moment, the Foundation awards five Prizes each year:

  • The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
  • The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
  • The Orwell Prize for Journalism
  • The Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils
  • The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness
What do winners receive?

Every year, the Foundation awards £15,000 in Prize money. Winners of each Orwell Prize receive £3,000.

Who can enter? Can I enter myself?

For books, entries must be submitted by the publisher. In 2022, publishers can submit up to five books.

For journalism, someone involved in the creation of the work must be responsible for entering it. This may be the author, journalist publisher, agent, editor or a representative.

For the Prize for Reporting Homelessness, entries may be submitted by the author or the author may be entered for the Prize by an individual or organisation working within the homelessness sector.

For all our Prizes, the person making the submission will be asked to sign a disclaimer on behalf of the author committing to abide by the rules and attesting that the entry is the author’s own work.

There are different eligibility requirements for each Prize, so please read our full list of rules.

How much does it cost to enter?

Unlike industry awards, we have no entry fees and you don’t have to pay for a table to attend our Prize Ceremony.

Publishers who are shortlisted for either book prize are asked to make a contribution (£750) to the cost of promoting the shortlist and winner. This contribution may be waived at the Foundation’s discretion.

When does the Prize Ceremony take place?

The 2023 Prize Ceremony will take place at the Orwell Festival of Political Writing in London on 22nd June.

Who are the judges? How does the judging process work?

We aim to be open and transparent about how our judges are appointed and how the judging process takes place. Judges are appointed each year and published on the Foundation website. The judges are appointed by the Director and administrators, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.

Judges are independent. They are asked to put aside their own political preferences, and consider the entries solely on how far they meet the Prize criteria.

Early in the summer, the judges decide on a set of finalists (approximately eight per prize), which is published on the Foundation website and publicised via our social media and the press. The winners are announced at the Orwell Festival of Political Writing in June.

How do I enter? When do entries open? When do they close?

All the Orwell Prizes open in November each year, but closing dates and eligibility periods vary between Prizes.

You can enter each Prize here, read the rules here, and read about our key milestones here.

Can we submit multiple entries?

Authors and journalists may only submit one entry per Prize, but the same writer may be entered for numerous prizes in the same year (i.e. theoretically, a writer could be entered for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing by their publisher, as well as entering themselves into the Orwell Prize for Journalism). Publishers can enter up to five books per prize, per imprint – further titles may be called in by judges.

Can I submit my blog?

The Blog Prize was discontinued in 2010. Jean Seaton wrote about why here. The Orwell Prize does not currently have plans to re-launch the Blog Prize.

When will I know if my work is successful? Can you provide feedback?

Keep an eye on our news, sign up to our newsletter or follow us on social media for up to date information.

Unfortunately we are unable to provide feedback on entries due to the very large number of submissions that are made.

How many entries does the Orwell Prize receive?

The Orwell Foundation receives around 200 entries for each award, give or take.

How do I get involved?

Our events are open to the public. Check our events page for up to date information.

If you have an idea for an event, or would like to propose a speaker or a judge, please contact us.