The Best Politics Books of 2026: The Orwell Prize for Political Writing

The Orwell Prizes are awarded to encourage good writing and thinking about politics, highlighting books which best meet Orwell’s own ambition “to make political writing into an art.” These are the eight books shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2026:

Stalin’s Apostles by Antonia Senior

“Stalin’s Apostles is gripping and superbly written, evoking the times and places its characters inhabit as well as any spy novel. But despite the quality of the writing and the buffoonery of its subjects, Senior has written a serious work of history that takes the Cambridge Five, and their crimes, deeply seriously. She gives due prominence to their many victims, and shows just how important they were to the Soviet domination of Central and Eastern Europe after the Second World War. This is a book that entirely rewrites a story that many people may think they know.”—Sam Bowman, Political Writing Judge

The Elements of Power by Nicolas Niarchos

“This book is not just a business story about power generation – the supply chain for lithium batteries – but about the abuse of power that goes into their creation. Niarchos’s forensic journalism exposes the path these vital elements take around the world, skilfully weaving the commercial, political and human implications. He reports on impoverished people in the Congo digging for cobalt with their bare hands, paying the price with their health and its use by some of the world’s wealthiest companies in the US and China, who turn a blind eye to how it is sourced. While the electrification of vehicles may further the green agenda, this book shines an important light on the trade-off humanity is making by using these metals.”—Katie Prescott, Political Writing Judge

Israel: What Went Wrong? by Omer Bartov

“Omer Bartov’s book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the transformation of Zionism in the decades following the founding of the Jewish state. The author – a leading Holocaust and genocide scholar who grew up in Israel and served in its military – bravely blends the personal with the political in this richly researched, highly evocative book. In addition to providing a nuanced primer on the current crisis, the book powerfully captures the challenges of reconciling with political polarisation – as well as the heartache of reflecting on a homeland in turmoil from afar.”—Jessie Lau, Political Writing Judge

Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple

“Shattered Lands has the quality of some of the best history books: it makes you constantly ask yourself if what you are reading can possibly be true because it is so surprising and underdiscussed. It tells its story with compassionate, funny character portraits and vignettes that give an insight into a world that was, in many ways, unimaginably different to our own. It is the story of one of the 20th Century’s most important, and yet least appreciated, events and brilliantly shows how contingent history can be.”—Sam Bowman, Political Writing Judge

The Wall Dancers by Yi-Ling Liu

“It’s rare to read such a deeply-reported, well-researched book on the Chinese internet that is centred around voices of Chinese people on the ground. The Wall Dancers tells a not unfamiliar story about Chinese censorship and online surveillance through a unique lens; by exploring the consequences of such technologies on subcultures (from music to feminism), the book reveals the realities of those attempting to navigate the state’s red lines both online and offline today, bringing the stories from within marginalised communities to the forefront.”—Jessie Lau, Political Writing Judge

The Escape from Kabul by Karen Bartlett

“The imperilled lives of Afghani female judges in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, rescued by other female judges around the world, is one of tragedy, bravery and hope. Bartlett tells it fearlessly in this deeply moving book that takes the reader on an emotional journey from despair and terror to relief. She brings the wider history of Afghanistan to life through extensive interviews and human stories, confronting issues of corruption and brutality head on, while weaving in a love and appreciation for the country. Her clarity of prose brings to life the chaos and desperation in Kabul as people tried to jump on those final planes out of the city.”—Katie Prescott, Political Writing Judge

For the Sun After Long Nights Nilo Tabrizy & Fatemeh Jamalpour

“I admire this book for many reasons – chief amongst them its extraordinary bravery. Fatemeh Jamalpour’s reporting from the streets of Iran – written while female protesters were being brutalised and killed all around her – is exactly the kind of courageous, first-hand journalism George Orwell was renowned for. Especially relevant right now, given the ongoing Iranian war, the book lays bare the Islamic Republic’s savage repression of women’s rights and its wider assault on basic freedoms. The dual narrative structure works brilliantly, weaving Jamalpour’s raw, on-the-ground accounts with Nilo Tabrizy’s meticulous, desk-based research whilst exiled from her home country.”—Rohan Silva, Chair of Judges for Political Writing

Three Years on Fire by Andrey Kurkov

“In a series of moving and compelling essays, Andrey Kurkov describes life in wartime Kyiv, full of illuminating observations on how Ukrainians have adapted to the dangers and sorrows of a conflict without apparent end, combined with informed political analysis. This volume includes the return of Trump to the White House and the attempted humiliation of Zelenskyy in the Oval Office in late February 2025. Throughout, Kurkov tells the story of a people facing aggression with grace and humour, never allowing us to forget Putin’s responsibility.”—Lawrence Freedman, Political Writing Judge