The British writer George Orwell died 70 years ago #onthisday, aged 46. As well as believing in the moral power of language, Orwell understood the dangers of its corruption. Seventy years after his death, Orwell has never been more relevant to the world we inhabit. #orwellday
From the corruption of the media to pervasive new technologies, from poverty and inequality to the rise of political extremism, George Orwell's concerns are as germane to our time as they were to the circumstances in which his novels, non-fiction and journalism were conceived.
At @TheOrwellPrize, we are hard at work to sustain this remarkable legacy. Through our Prizes, events and programmes, in partnership with @OrwellYouthPriz, we use Orwell's work to promote honest writing and reporting, uncover hidden lives and confront uncomfortable truths.
To mark the 70th anniversary of George Orwell's death, we've collaborated with @UCLSpecColl to produce an exclusive short film. Watch @djtaylorwriter reconstruct Orwell's final months, weeks and days through some of the items in the George Orwell Archive:
