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George Orwell depicts what a world could possibly look like under an authoritarian regime in his dystopian novel 1984, coining neologisms such as Big Brother, Thoughtcrime and Doublethink.

Published in 1949, it remains highly influential in popular culture, and you have probably heard about the term Orwellian before. However, it is often misinterpreted, especially in social media, politics, and news. The term includes the manipulative and deceptive use of language to brainwash and control the society.

It is no wonder that it is the most widely used adjective derived from the name of a modern writer, even more common than Kafkaesque or Machiavellian. Orwell was a heavy opponent of totalitarian regimes, especially after what had happened in Nazi Germany and Communist Russia.

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.

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36:T549,The vision of the future evoked in George Orwell’s last novel Nineteen Eighty-Four was so terrifying to its first readers that some claimed to be unable to sleep at night. When the book was adapted by the BBC for the new medium of television after Orwell’s death, millions became aware of the novel’s concepts and language which have since seeped into Western popular culture. Big Brother, Room 101, the thought police, doublethink: few novels of the 20th century have had such a lasting impact.Over the seventy years since its publication, world events have brought Orwell’s vision into focus at various points. The Cold War, the collapse of Communism, the rise of surveillance, and the inauguration of President Trump are among those moments in history which have made readers return to the novel time and again.Joining Bridget Kendall to discuss the origins of Orwell’s novel and its ongoing relevance are Professor John Rodden, author of George Orwell: Life and Letters, Legend and Legacy; journalist and writer Dorian Lynskey whose biography of Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Ministry of Truth, was published in 2019; and editor of the George Orwell Society Journal Masha Karp, writer of the forthcoming George Orwell and Russia (Bloomsbury Academic).Photo: A man holding a German translation of George Orwell's 1984. (Adam Berry/Getty Images)37:T1e47,

Ep 132 - 1984, by George Orwell (Bonus E...