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Professor Lyndsey Stonebridge shortlisted for Orwell Prize

Book about German-American historian and philosopher Hannah Arendt is in the running for the UK's most prestigious prize for political writing.

28 May 2024
Book covers of the 9 finalists for the prize

We Are Free to Change The World, a book by Professor Lyndsey Stonebridge, has been short-listed with nine others for the Orwell Prize in political writing.

Based upon the life and ideas of the German-Jewish political writer, Hannah Arendt, the book has already been praised as "zippy" and "compellingly readable" by one of the judges, deserving to be "read far and wide".  

The prizes are awarded by the Orwell Foundation for writing and reporting that matches George Orwell's own ambition 'to make political writing into an art', and are considered to be the most prestigious of their kind in the UK. The winners will be announced at a central London ceremony on Thursday 27 June.

Hannah Arendt loved George Orwell’s writing and would frequently set his novels for her students to read in her classes on politics and totalitarianism. She would thoroughly approve of a prize in his name. As a child of the 1960s, I was educated through Orwell’s writing. The mood then was to teach free-thinkers who could be on the look-out for dangerously ideological thinking. I wouldn’t be the writer and thinker I am today without Orwell. In fact, I’m not sure I’d be the person I am without him. I am deeply honoured that my book has been nominated for this prize.

Professor Lyndsey Stonebridge, College of Arts and Law

Professor Lyndsey Stonebridge on totalitarianism today

Featured staff

  • Professor Lyndsey Stonebridge

    Interdisciplinary Chair of Humanities and Human Rights

    Biographical and contact information for Professor Lyndsey Stonebridge, Interdisciplinary Chair and Interdisciplinary Chair, Department of English Literature, University of Birmingham.

    Email: l.j.stonebridge@bham.ac.uk

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