Hommam Al Nassim 
Libyan-British writer Hisham Matar won the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing for the year 2024, for his novel “My Friends,” which was released at the beginning of this year.
This is Matar’s third novel, in which he explores deep themes such as homeland and friendship in his narrative style that combines aesthetics and philosophical depth.
Matar began to attract attention in the West since the beginning of the new millennium, and he appeared for the first time in literary circles with his novel “In the Country of Men,” which was published in 2006 and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Literary Prize.
Matar also left his mark on the literary scene with his articles that appeared in prominent newspapers such as The Independent, The Guardian, The Times, and The New York Times.
Matar’s literary career was also boosted by the success of his second novel, “Disappearance,” and his memoir, “The Return,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2017 and the Jane Stein Book Award.
Matar was born in the United States of America and currently resides in London. He also holds the position of Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Barnard College, Columbia University.
It is noteworthy that the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing is awarded annually by the Orwell Charitable Foundation with the aim of promoting freedom of expression and critical thinking. It was established in 1991 in honor of the writer George Orwell, who was famous for his works criticizing tyranny and totalitarianism.
The awards are awarded in four categories: political writing, political fiction, political journalism and media coverage, and the winners are selected by independent jury committees for each category, consisting of prominent figures in the fields of writing, journalism and academia.
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