CCCB to devote two whole days to the memory of George Orwell
For the fifth consecutive year, Orwell’s presence in Barcelona will be celebrated with two days of conferences and literary-themed walks
George Orwell is undoubtedly one of the 20th century writers whose work remains most relevant today. And that’s especially due to his novel 1984, which depicted a world in which individual liberty no longer existed and people lived under constant surveillance. What for Orwell was a warning about totalitarianism, in the same way that Animal Farm was a fable of Stalinist communism, has become, for us, a preview of the kind of state snooping uncovered by Snowden and others. And, as CCCB is about to remind us, that is why Orwell still matters today.
Orwell spent some time in Barcelona when he came to fight in the Spanish Civil War and the city has dedicated a square to him. The action at CCCB is spread over two days, starting at 6.30pm on 5 and 6 July. On the opening day there will be a talk titled Free Speech under Attack, given by Timothy Garton Ash, a journalist who has worked for The Guardian and The New York Times, and is a specialist in totalitarian regimes both real and imaginary. On Thursday 6 July, the main activity will be a debate featuring Antonio Monegal and Manel Ollé on Truth and Fiction in the Totalitarian Dystopia. These activities will also be complemented by literary walks around Orwell’s Barcelona for which registration is required.
More information and tickets are available on the CCCB website.