Jean Seaton quoted by the Economist on why interest in George Orwell and his dystopian fiction remains high

8 August 2023

Professor Jean Seaton has been quoted in an article in the Economist which explores the enduring love for the work of George Orwell. The article, which takes two new books about Orwell as its basis suggests that Orwell is one of the most important writers to have ever lived.

The article suggests that Orwells work continues to fascinate people as angst over totalitarianism, the manipulation of truth and spread of invasive technologies continues to be something that we wrestle with. In the article, Seaton argues that “today’s world is increasingly Orwellian. Consider social-media pile-ons, analogous to the “Two Minutes Hate” the novel’s characters spew at enemies of the state. The dangers Orwell flagged are as easily used by the left to bludgeon autocrats as by the right to denounce the left’s punishment of ‘wrong think’”.

The article can be read in full on the Economist Website

 

Photo by Ethan Rougon on Unsplash

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