An invitation to the 18th #1984Symposium

Recorded for http://Documentally.net and #AudioMo

This year marks the 18th consecutive gathering at the grave of George Orwell in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire. It all began weeks before the 2007 financial crisis. A small meeting between myself and Dr John Perivolaris, when with Orwell's writings and enduring influence in mind, we asked questions and discussed threatened freedoms.

And now, here in 2024 at the brink of another global slowdown, amidst social and economic inequalities, protracted conflicts and mass protests, this annual pilgrimage continues and we meet again.

Through the years, this informal picnic has discussed government and corporate mass surveillance programmes, restrictions on the right to protest as well as the continued erosion of online privacy.

Orwell stood for decency and kindness. He called out injustice and institutional corruption. And our presence does the same. This picnic is a political act - but it's also a meeting of minds and a gathering of friends who are committed to uphold the values of decency, kindness, and resistance to tyranny.

Throughout these last 18 years, this humble pilgrimage has evolved into an important tradition. It serves as a reminder that Orwell's message remains as vital today as it was decades ago.

Through this symposium, Orwell's legacy is kept alive and his call to resist dystopian tendencies in society continues to inspire a new generation of thinkers and change-makers.

Sat in an Oxfordshire graveyard, we find inspiration and community in our shared values of decency, justice, and resistance.

Visitors have come from around the world. As well as just down the road. You never know who'll turn up. One year we got to meet an elderly man who'd been there on the very day George Orwell was buried. And on more than one occasion we've had a reading from Orwell's son Richard.

Everyone is welcome to this annual gathering - to reflect, to discuss, and to leave empowered with the knowledge that there are fellow travellers committed to heeding that call.

So, bring a blanket, a picnic, and an open mind. This is a meeting of the curious, where we break bread, swap stories, and forge new connections.

June the 25th, 11am onwards, I'll be sat behind The Church of All Saints in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire, OX14 4AE

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