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The Orwell Foundation · award year

The Orwell Prize 2025

The 2025 Orwell Prize went to Heart, Be at Peace by Donal Ryan (Political Fiction) and Looking at Women, Looking at War by Victoria Amelina (Political Writing). 16 books made the shortlist across 2 categories.

Winners

Political Fiction

  1. Heart, Be at Peace by Donal Ryansource (opens in a new tab)

Political Writing

  1. Looking at Women, Looking at War by Victoria Amelinasource (opens in a new tab)

Shortlist

Political Fiction

  1. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichiesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Parallel Lines by Edward St Aubynsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Precipice by Robert Harrissource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Accidental Immigrants by Jo McMillansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Harrow by Noah Eatonsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafaksource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Universality by Natasha Brownsource (opens in a new tab)

Political Writing

  1. At the Edge of Empire by Edward Wongsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Autocracy Inc. by Anne Applebaumsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Broken Threads by Mishal Husainsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Baton and the Cross by Lucy Ashsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Coming Storm: A Journey into the Heart of the Conspiracy Machine by Gabriel Gatehousesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad by Simon Parkinsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The World of the Cold War: 1945-1991 by Vladislav Zuboksource (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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