What would George Orwell’s iconic 1984 look like from a female perspective? In her blistering new novel Julia, Sandra Newman introduces us to life in Airstrip One through the eyes of Julia Worthing, the mechanic who has an affair with Winston Smith. From the workplace to the dorms to the streets where the proles live, we’re shown a side of Big Brother, of life in Oceania, and of Julia that was previously hidden from view. Sandra was chosen by the Orwell Estate to write this bold feminist retelling and, in her MLF debut, will be discussing the process of writing the novel, her distinctive fiction, her superb female characters and how dystopia mirrors the world around us. Hosted by writer and podcast presenter Naomi Frisby.

Sandra is the author of six novels including The Country of Ice Cream Star, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and The Heavens.