Cambridge Forum is pleased to mark the 75th anniversary of the publication of Nineteen Eighty-Four in 1949, with an in-depth discussion about George Orwell’s life, work and legacy.
Written at a time when Orwell was seriously ill, 1984 had a dubious beginning with few interested in publishing it, yet it went on to become a classic literary example of political and dystopian fiction. Its themes struck a chord with readers worldwide due to its focus on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance and repression, which have remained timeless. The novel, which was Orwell’s final book, examines the role of truth and facts within society and the ways in which they can be manipulated, hence the creation of the term “Orwellian”.
To help us understand the complex but brilliant mind of this great writer, we have two wonderful writers who are specialists on Orwell, Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry of Truth: A Biography of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, and Nathan Waddell, Professor of Twentieth-Century Literature at the University of Birmingham.
