Orwell Prize for Political Fiction · 2025 · Winner
Heart, Be at Peace
Donal RyanFor its lyrical and deeply human portrait of an Irish farming family — fiction that illuminates how communities sustain and betray each other across generations.
Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
2025 Winner
Complete History
About the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction is an annual UK literary award for fiction that engages most powerfully with politics, society, and the public realm, named in honour of George Orwell, whose novels Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm remain defining works of political literature. The prize is awarded by the Orwell Foundation and was established in its current form in 2019, when the Orwell Prizes were restructured to include a dedicated fiction category alongside their longstanding book and journalism prizes. The fiction prize is judged by an independent panel and given to a novel or short story collection that most powerfully illuminates a political or social reality of our time. Past winners include Anna Burns's Milkman (2019), Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys (2020), Ali Smith's Summer (2021), Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These (2022), Tom Crewe's The New Life (2023), Hisham Matar's My Friends (2024), and Donal Ryan's Heart, Be at Peace (2025). The prize is open to any fiction published in or about Britain or Ireland, or bearing relevance to the political and social questions of the day. The Orwell Foundation also awards an Orwell Prize for Political Writing (nonfiction) and a journalism prize. The prize is named for Eric Arthur Blair (1903–1950), better known as George Orwell, who worked as a journalist and fiction writer and whose commitment to democratic socialism and clear political prose made him one of the twentieth century's most influential authors.
Frequently Asked Questions
- An annual UK literary award for fiction that best illuminates political and social realities, named after George Orwell. It was established in 2019 as part of the restructured Orwell Prizes.
- Novels and short story collections that engage with political or social questions are eligible. The prize is not restricted to British authors, but the work must have relevance to political life in Britain, Ireland, or internationally.
- The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction does not carry a set cash prize, though winners receive a trophy and significant public recognition.
- The fiction prize is for novels and story collections, while the Political Writing prize is for nonfiction — journalism, essays, books. Both celebrate writing that makes the political world vivid and comprehensible.
- Winners include Anna Burns (Milkman, 2019), Colson Whitehead (The Nickel Boys, 2020), Ali Smith (Summer, 2021), Claire Keegan (Small Things Like These, 2022), Tom Crewe (The New Life, 2023), Hisham Matar (My Friends, 2024), and Donal Ryan (Heart, Be at Peace, 2025).
- An independent judging panel appointed by the Orwell Foundation selects the winner from a longlist and shortlist.
- Winners are typically announced in summer at the Orwell Prize ceremony.