Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

George Orwell (1903-1950) was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. Considered a classic of dystopian fiction, ‘1984’ has contributed many terms to common usage, including Big Brother, doublethink, newspeak and thoughtcrime, while the adjective "Orwellian" has entered the English language in the context of government deception, surveillance, and misleading terminology.

The narrative unfolds in an imagined future when most of the world has fallen prey to omnipresent government surveillance, propaganda and endless war. In the novel ‘1984’, the protagonist Winston Smith wrestles with oppression in Oceania, a state where the Party scrutinizes every human action with Big Brother. Defying a ban on individualism, Winston expresses his thoughts in a diary and pursues a relationship with his colleague, Julia. These criminal acts bring Winston to the attention of Big Brother.

• Narrator: Mark Bowen
• Listening Length: 11 hours 44 minutes 00 seconds