Ministry of Truth

Nominated for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction
Nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing

The Ministry of Truth documents the life of George Orwell in 1984, one of the most influential books of the 20th century, a work of increasing importance in this turbulent era of “fake news” and “alternative facts.”

"Brilliant... If you have the slightest interest in Orwell or in the evolution of our culture, you shouldn't miss this engaging and illuminating book." - John Carey, The Sunday Times

George Orwell's novel "1984" has become a defining narrative of the modern world. Its cultural influence can be seen in some of the most notable creations of the past 70 years, from Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" to the popular reality TV show "Big Brother," while ideas such as "the Thought Police," "doublethink," and "newspeak" are ingrained in our language. In the first book to detail the origins and legacy of Orwell's final masterpiece, Dorian Lynskey examines the influences that converged in the writing of "1984," from Orwell's experiences of the Spanish Civil War and wartime London to his passion for utopian and dystopian fiction. Lynskey explores the phenomenon the novel became when it was first published in 1949 and the changing ways it has been read over the decades, revealing how history can inform fiction and how fiction can influence history.