More than 75 years after it was first published in 1949, George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is a global classic, one that speaks to our own age. Whether on topics such as surveillance, the manipulation of language and reality, or the abuse of history, Orwell’s novel continues to provide imaginative scenarios for thinking and action. The adjective ‘Orwellian’ is regularly invoked to describe and dissect oppressive regimes around the world, and phrases from the book such as “Big Brother is Watching You”, “2+2=5”, “The Thought Police” and “The Ministry of Truth” are repeatedly used to warn us about the destructive power of disinformation, the erosion of personal freedom, and the need to resist the loss of fundamental freedoms. In this talk Professor Peter Marks will place the novel in its original context and will explore how its vision of a dark totalitarian future still has much to tell us in 2025.
About Professor Peter Marks:
Peter Marks is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Sydney. He has published widely on Orwell (most notably his study George Orwell The Essayist) and sits on the Advisory Board of the academic journal George Orwell Studies. As one sign of Orwell’s continuing relevance, Professor Marks has chapters in three collections on Orwell set to be published in 2025: George Orwell in Context; The Routledge Companion to George Orwell, and The Oxford Handbook of George Orwell. He is currently working on a study of the international influences on Orwell’s life, thinking and writing.
This program is held in partnership with The Joan. Don't miss1984 by George Orwell live on stage on Friday 13 June. Visit thejoan.com.au for more information.
Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be provided.
Please advise on 4732 7891 if you have any accessibility requirements for this event.
