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The Orwell Foundation · award year

The Orwell Prize 2024

The 2024 Orwell Prize went to My Friends by Hisham Matar (Political Fiction) and The Picnic by Matthew Longo (Political Writing). 17 books made the shortlist across 2 categories.

Winners

Political Fiction

  1. My Friends by Hisham Matarsource (opens in a new tab)

Political Writing

  1. The Picnic by Matthew Longosource (opens in a new tab)

Shortlist

Political Fiction

  1. Blackouts by Justin Torressource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. James by Percival Everettsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Ocean Stirrings by Merle Collinssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Orbital by Samantha Harveysource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolansource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Future Future by Adam Thirlwellsource (opens in a new tab)

Political Writing

  1. A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: A Palestine Story by Nathan Thrallsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Eve by Cat Bohannonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad: A Family Memoir of Miraculous Survival by Daniel Finkelsteinsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Our Enemies will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine’s War of Independence by Yaroslav Trofimovsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Revolutionary Acts: Love & Brotherhood in Black Gay Britain by Jason Okundayesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Achilles Trap by Steve Collsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Incarcerations by Alpa Shahsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. We are Free to Change the World by Lyndsey Stonebridgesource (opens in a new tab)

About the The Orwell Prize

Book prizes only: the combined Book Prize (category Book) to 2018, then the Political Writing and Political Fiction book prizes from 2019; journalism, blog and special prizes are out of scope. Year is the prize year the Foundation uses (winner announced in June). Membership and levels come from the shortlist, finalist and longlist blocks on each year's winner page; the site's 'finalists' are recorded as Shortlist. Longlists are published for 2008-2021 only, and 2006-2007 show a shortlist only. Dozens of older book pages carry a stray '2010 Book prize long list' header, so those rows cite the year's winner page, which lists them, instead of the book page. Duplicate pages for the same book (Frontline 2006; Whatever It Takes and Enough is Enough 2011) count once. Translators are not credited on the source pages.

Organization: The Orwell Foundation. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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