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The Orwell Prize Winners American writer Ben Lerner has won this year’s Orwell Prize for political fiction for Transcription, a novel exploring technology and memory. The Winning Novel: Transcription In nonfiction, the prize went to Karen Bartlett for The Escape from Kabul, which looks at Afghan women lawyers who came under threat after the fall of Kabul in 2021. The Prize Details The prizes come with £5,000. The first section of Lerner’s novel sees the narrator travelling to Providence, Rhode Island, to conduct a final interview with an eccentric German intellectual, Thomas. The Judges' Perspective “A forensic study of our insatiable appetite for new technology, [Transcription] explores the unreliable stories we tell ourselves about hunger, love and connection,” said judging chair Fiammetta Rocco, who helmed the International Booker prize for 20 years. The Shortlisted Titles Along with Transcription, the titles shortlisted for this year’s fiction prize were A Private Man by Stephanie Sy-Quia, Every One Still Here by Liadan Ní Chuinn, Flashlight by Susan Choi, John of John by Douglas Stuart, The Comfort of Distant Stars by IO Echeruo, This Is Where the Serpent Lives by Daniyal Mueenuddin, and Uprising by Tahmima Anam. The Nonfiction Winners Bartlett’s nonfiction prize winner, The Escape from Kabul, is “taut and crisp, and shines a light on a story that deserves attention”, said Rohan Silva, former policy adviser and founder of Libreria bookshop in Spitalfields, London.

German film-maker and author Alexander Kluge, a leading figure in the New German Cinema movement, has died at the age of 94. Kluge was known for his intellectually stimulating films and his role in shaping the cinematic landscape of post-war Germany. Kluge's career was marked by his innovative approach to filmmaking, which often incorporated cinematic collages and experimental techniques. His film Abschied von Gestern (released as Yesterday Girl in the US) was one of the first films to emerge from the Oberhausen Manifesto, a call to the German film industry to break free from traditional and shallow filmmaking. Kluge's contributions to German cinema were significant, and his influence can be seen in the work of other notable directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Werner Herzog. He continued to produce films and television programs throughout his career, including arts, magazine, and interview programs for German television through his production company DCTP. Kluge's wartime experiences had a profound impact on his life and work, shaping his commitment to pacifism. However, his comments on the topic have been met with controversy, particularly in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Throughout his career, Kluge collaborated with other artists and writers, including Ben Lerner, with whom he co-authored a poetic dialogue book, The Snows of Venice. Kluge's legacy as a pioneering film-maker and author continues to be celebrated, and his influence on German cinema and culture remains significant.