2026 Winners: Judges’ Comments

We have been privileged to receive a small selection of the opinions of the judges on the three stories shortlisted for the Orwell Society Dystopian Fiction Award 2026.

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Winner of the Dystopian Fiction Prize 2026
Kit Killigrew (University of Bristol)
‘Two by Two’

‘…  very effective and cleverly understated in its refusal to give certain details and explanations.Truly dystopian without spelling things out, and rightly leaving the reader to realise that they can’t reach certain conclusions. A very nice piece.’

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Runner up
Claire Suzanne Hickenbotham (Nottingham Trent University)
‘Opted Out’

‘The main character draws us in convincingly by describing her shifting relationships in a dystopian world. When the devices that define society finally fail, her role switches from being a Luddite resister to humanising force. Vindicated, she is able to re-establish a meaningful sense of belonging in her reunited family.’

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Shortlisted

Lily Foster (Lancaster University)

‘The Last Archive’

‘Heavily reminiscent of elements of Nineteen Eighty-Four but with a more uplifting finish.Subtle exploration of the meaning of belonging in a totalitarian world, and the necessity to sever all ties in order to escape.’
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May 2026

The theme for the 2026 competition was:

Belonging

Exploring the following concepts:

What it means to truly belong

The impossibility of returning home or inability to recapture the past

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All photography thanks to Tiger Ant Productions

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