Orwell Youth Prize to introduce game design category
Entries will open next week, to encourage 12 to 18 year-olds from the UK to design games inspired by George Orwell
The Orwell Youth Prize, which traditionally rewards young writers, will be introducing a new gaming category.
This is the result of a partnership between the Orwell Foundation and Imre Jele, project founder of PC and mobile game Orwell's Animal Farm, developed by Nerial and published by The Dairymen, out today.
The Orwell Youth Prize traditionally asks 12 to 18 year-olds from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales to submit writing inspired by the work of George Orwell, with a new theme every year. The same approach will be applied to a new game design category, with submissions to open next week.
"The prize is an annual programme for 12-18-year olds which seeks to amplify the voices that go unheard and aims to give more young people the tools, confidence and platform to make an impact and change the world around them through their writing," the announcement said. "By creating a new game design category the idea is that more young people -- including those who are typically underrepresented among entrants -- will be encouraged to take part because they can write for a platform they love."
More details will be announced on the organisation's website next week.
The Hugo Awards also recently added a video games category for its 2021 literary prizes.
A few years back, we talked to Imre Jele about The Dairymen's Animal Farm and why the team wanted to revisit Orwell's 1940s classic.