Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two equals four. If that is granted, all else follows.

Winston Smith, Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell (1949)

George Orwell is probably the best-known writer of dystopia in the world today.

My author career would never have happened without him. 

His novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, paints an unforgettable picture of an imagined totalitarian state. 

The story works because Orwell delicately tempers moments of sheer horror with humanity born from his extraordinary life experiences.

With this work, Orwell quite literally ‘wrote the book’ on the nature of truth and the importance of free speech.

You may have noticed that today, he is being invoked by numerous high-profile figures to substantiate their credibility.

Both Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk have used Orwell as a kind of shorthand for reinforcing their criticism of perceived injustices.

Their approach is nothing new.

When I managed communications for global corporations, we were always on the lookout for a convincing third party endorsement to help enhance our standing. However, we would never have used a quote without sign-off from the originator.

But if the authority you are quoting has been dead for more than seventy years, who is going to tell you that you’ve got it wrong?

Professor Jean Seaton, director of the Orwell Foundation, has spoken out about the misuse of Orwellian terminology. 

She explains that, far from being against the State per se (as some might suggest), Orwell was warning against tyranny and totalitarianism.

You can make your own call on what he really meant.  The Orwell Society would be the perfect starting place. They provide a fantastic authoritative and apolitical source of free information on George Orwell’s life and works.