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The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction

The Orwell Foundation

A British literary prize awarded annually by the Orwell Foundation to the novel judged best at illuminating political issues and themes, honoring work that embodies George Orwell's ambition to make political writing into an art.

Latest winner · 2026

Search through 7,609 books

2026

  1. Transcription

    Ben Lerner

    Won
  2. A Private Man

    Stephanie Sy-Quia

    Shortlisted
  3. Every One Still Here

    Liadan Ní Chuinn

    Shortlisted
  4. Flashlight

    Susan Choi

    Nominated for 2 more awards

    Shortlisted
  5. John of John

    Douglas Stuart

    Nominated for 2 more awards

    Shortlisted

  6. The Comfort of Distant Stars

    I. O. Echeruo

    Shortlisted
  7. This Is Where the Serpent Lives

    Daniyal Mueenuddin

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted

  8. Uprising

    Tahmima Anam

    Shortlisted

2025

  1. Heart, Be at Peace

    Donal Ryan

    Won
  2. Dream Count

    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    Shortlisted
  3. Parallel Lines

    Edward St Aubyn

    Shortlisted
  4. Precipice

    Robert Harris

    Shortlisted

  5. The Accidental Immigrants

    Jo McMillan

    Shortlisted
  6. The Harrow

    Noah Eaton

    Shortlisted
  7. There are Rivers in the Sky

    Elif Shafak

    Shortlisted
  8. Universality

    Natasha Brown

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted

2024

  1. My Friends

    Hisham Matar

    Won 1 more award · Nominated for 2 more awards

    Won
  2. Blackouts

    Justin Torres

    Won 1 more award · Nominated for 2 more awards

    Shortlisted
  3. Caledonian Road

    Andrew O'Hagan

    Shortlisted
  4. James

    Percival Everett

    Won 4 more awards · Nominated for 5 more awards

    Shortlisted

  5. Ocean Stirrings

    Merle Collins

    Shortlisted
  6. Orbital

    Samantha Harvey

    Won 1 more award

    Shortlisted
  7. Ordinary Human Failings

    Megan Nolan

    Shortlisted
  8. The Future Future

    Adam Thirlwell

    Shortlisted

2023

  1. The New Life

    Tom Crewe

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Won
  2. A House for Alice

    Diana Evans

    Shortlisted
  3. After Sappho

    Selby Wynn Schwartz

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted
  4. Birnam Wood

    Eleanor Catton

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted
  5. Bournville

    Jonathan Coe

    Shortlisted
  6. Demon Copperhead

    Barbara Kingsolver

    Won 3 more awards

    Shortlisted
  7. Small Worlds

    Caleb Azumah Nelson

    Shortlisted
  8. The Story of the Forest

    Linda Grant

    Shortlisted

2022

  1. Small Things like These

    Claire Keegan

    Nominated for 2 more awards

    Won
  2. A Passage North

    Anuk Arudpragasam

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted

  3. Appliance

    J. O. Morgan

    Shortlisted
  4. Assembly

    Natasha Brown

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted

  5. Cwen

    Alice Albinia

    Shortlisted
  6. Sterling Karat Gold

    Isabel Waidner

    Shortlisted
  7. The Colony

    Audrey Magee

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted
  8. The High House

    Jessie Greengrass

    Shortlisted

  9. There Are More Things

    Yara Rodrigues Fowler

    Shortlisted

2021

  1. Summer

    Ali Smith

    Won
  2. Afterlives

    Abdulrazak Gurnah

    Shortlisted
  3. Apeirogon

    Colum McCann

    Nominated for 2 more awards

    Shortlisted
  4. Leave the World Behind

    Rumaan Alam

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted
  5. The Death of Vivek Oji

    Akwaeke Emezi

    Nominated for 2 more awards

    Shortlisted
  6. The Vanishing Half

    Brit Bennett

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted

2020

  1. The Nickel Boys

    Colson Whitehead

    Won 2 more awards · Nominated for 3 more awards

    Won
  2. Ducks, Newburyport

    Lucy Ellmann

    Won 1 more award · Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted
  3. Girl

    Edna O'Brien

    Shortlisted
  4. Girl, Woman, Other

    Bernardine Evaristo

    Won 1 more award · Nominated for 2 more awards

    Shortlisted
  5. Heaven, My Home

    Attica Locke

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted
  6. The Wall

    John Hersey

    Won 1 more award · Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted

2019

  1. Milkman

    Anna Burns

    Won 3 more awards · Nominated for 2 more awards

    Won
  2. House of Stone

    Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

    Shortlisted

  3. Ironopolis

    Glen James Brown

    Shortlisted
  4. Ordinary People

    Diana Evans

    Nominated for 2 more awards

    Shortlisted
  5. Red Clocks

    Leni Zumas

    Shortlisted
  6. Sabrina

    Nick Drnaso

    Nominated for 1 more award

    Shortlisted

Frequently asked questions

Who won the The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction in 2026?
“Transcription” by Ben Lerner won the The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction in 2026.
Who are the most recent The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction winners?
2026: “Transcription” by Ben Lerner; 2025: “Heart, Be at Peace” by Donal Ryan; 2024: “My Friends” by Hisham Matar; 2023: “The New Life” by Tom Crewe; 2022: “Small Things like These” by Claire Keegan.