Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

Newspeak, Doublethink, Big Brother, the Thought Police – George Orwell’s world-famous satire coined new and potent words of warning for us all.

In 1984 the world is divided into three parts, Oceania, Eastasia and Eurasia, all perpetually at war. In Oceania, the Party has created a totalitarian state that annihilates all opposition. In the forefront of the Party stands Big Brother, a figure of almost mythical power.

The story of Winston Smith’s rebellion against the Party, of his hatred of Big Brother, and of the thoughtcrime which must result in his destruction was first published in 1949. Now in the eighties – our present and Orwell’s brilliantly imagined future – his vision of brutalised and manipulated humanity is still gripping and still supremely relevant.