The Orwell Prize is the 'most important British award for political writing' (The Observer). Founded by Sir Bernard Crick through the Orwell Trust and Political Quarterly in 1993, the Media Standards Trust became a partner for the 2008 Prize. Richard Blair - George Orwell's son - is one of the sponsors, alongside Thomson Reuters, A. M. Heath and Wiley-Blackwell.
Each year, two prizes - the Book Prize and the Journalism Prize - are awarded for the works which come closest to Orwell's own ambition, 'to make political writing into an art'. The Orwell Prize looks to encourage good writing and good thinking about politics in the broadest sense, and entries should show excellence in both style and content.
Previous winners of the Book Prize include Robert Cooper, Patricia Hollis, Fergal Keane, Francis Wheen, Delia Jarrett-Macauley, Peter Hennessy and Michael Ignatieff. The winner of the Book Prize 2008 was Raja Shehadeh for Palestinian Walks (Profile).
Previous winners of the Journalism Prize include Polly Toynbee, Timothy Garton Ash, Paul Foot, Brian Sewell, Matthew Parris and David Aaronovitch. This year's winner was Johann Hari of The Independent.
The judges have also awarded Special Prizes in the past. Recipients include BBC Newsnight (2007), and broadcaster and author Clive James (2008).
To read more about the prize, view past winners, and find out how to enter, go to www.theorwellprize.co.uk.
You can also watch the 2008 Awards Ceremony, see interviews with some shortlisted authors, listen to some of the entries and hear Alastair Campbell and Tony Benn discuss political diaries, politics and the media at the Orwell Prize YouTube Channel.