Orwell's England? Englishness, Britishness and the Populist Challenge
Join our panel at University College London on 17 June
Dear Friends,
In the autumn of 1940, as the Blitz raged overhead, George Orwell sat down to write The Lion and the Unicorn (1941), a searching reflection on the nature of England, its people, and its political future.
Inspired by Orwell—and on the eve of the Makerfield by-election—we will be asking our expert panel about the role which both Englishness and Britishness play in our politics today, at a time when both identities are increasingly contested. Register here for this timely debate, hosted in partnership with The Political Quarterly.
As Sam Taylor Hill writes in The Political Quarterly, Orwell takes a keen interest in the moral inheritance of England: the values and traditions against which a nation measures itself, as well as the lived sensibility, that more fluid, elusive quality of collective life that resists formal definition but is nonetheless bound up with how the nation is actually experienced. The Lion and the Unicorn, Sam argues, is ultimately a kind of rallying cry to see England renewed and become its better self.
Public discussion tends to assume that Englishness is narrow and exclusionary, while Britishness is civic and open. Yet historically, prominent far-right movements, from the British Union of Fascists to the National Front and the BNP, mobilised explicitly in the name of Britishness, while Orwell himself offered a distinctly progressive account of English patriotism. More recently, Reform UK, a party largely English in its support base and tone, has sought to expand into Scotland and Wales, requiring a shift toward a more explicitly British political identity.
Our panel—Pippa Catterall John Denham, Tom McTague, Ros Wynne-Jones, and chair Rosie Campbell—will be exploring all these questions and more. And, of course, we’ll be finished in good time for England’s first appearance at the World Cup.
TONIGHT: Tuesday 9 June | Three Orwell Prize finalists in conversation
Free event | Second Home, Spitalfields, London, 6.30 PM
In this special event, hosted by Libreria Bookshop, three Orwell Prize finalists - Tahmima Anam (Uprising), Karen Bartlett (The Escape from Kabul) and Sam Dalrymple (Shattered Lands) - will be in conversation with Rohan Silva, chair of the panel for the 2026 Orwell Prize for Political Writing.
Across fiction and nonfiction, the evening will explore the ways in which political writing can challenge orthodoxies, document reality, and offer alternative ways of thinking about our future.
Read exclusive extracts from our finalists
Head to our website to explore The Orwell Prize shortlists: you’ll find exclusive extracts from all the books nominated in this year’s awards, as well as links to all the nominated reporting. Once you’ve chosen your books, visit The Orwell Prize page on The Guardian bookshop for a 20% discount on the recommended retail price.
“One cannot understand life without understanding time. Perhaps that is why the truly insightful child is eager to know which comes first – the chicken or the egg.”
The Comfort of Distant Stars by I.O. Echeruo
Support our work in the United States
George Orwell warned us about the dangers of a world without truth. Our work to promote his legacy—and his values of decency, integrity and fidelity to truth—has never felt more urgent. Now, we’re growing our presence in the United States.
Earlier this year, we launched the American Friends of the Orwell Foundation, a new campaign that allows US donors to support our work directly. We have already begun to act in the US, with our exhibition, Orwell and Truth, currently free to view at New York University. With your support, we can go even further.
Monday 22 June | War, Hope and Impunity in Ukraine: Andrey Kurkov and Manisha Ganguly in conversation with Kim Darroch
From £5.94 | Paddington, London, 7.00 PM
Andrey Kurkov (Three Years on Fire: The Destruction of Ukraine) and Manisha Ganguly (Investigations Correspondent, The Guardian) join Kim Darroch, Chair of the Orwell Foundation, to discuss their Orwell Prize shortlisted reporting on war crimes in Ukraine, and our age of impunity.
