George Owell's Nineteen Eighty-Four Reading Project

2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the first publication of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. It’s a book that is as relevant today as when first published, covering as it does totalitarianism; fake news; the suppression of dissent and freedom; two-minute hate (the equivalent of online mobs and ‘lock her up’ chants); Big Brother and surveillance; doublethink; social media spying; strong men in power where tyrannies rule. The growth of populism, nationalism and fears for the future of democracy are often seen as Orwellian. Nineteen Eighty-Four is a book that has lost none of its power and remains full of ideas about the way we live, work, learn and protest today. It’s a guide for troubled times.

To encourage wide learning and debate, Festival of Ideas is creating a mass reading group with the distribution of 1000 free copies of Nineteen Eighty-Four. We want people in the city to read the book, discuss it, and provide reactions and responses to it.

Register here to receive details about collecting a book.

Terms and Conditions
Registering for the project guarantees that you will be the first to hear about pick-up locations for one free copy of the book. These will be notified via an email from Eventbrite when the books are ready to collect. It does not guarantee a copy of the book. Books can only be collected in person and are restricted to one per person for as long as stocks lasts.

We will not contact you again unless you are subscribed to our newsletter.

Full terms and conditions, including our Privacy Policy, can be found on our website.

Registrations are closed

Nineteen Eighty-Four Reading Project: Free Book Collection Points