writers and the leviathan or duty to warn

At a time when athletes, actors, astronomers and others are told to stick to their day-jobs and not wade into the political fray, many of us expect writers and academics to uphold values and defend truth and justice in trying times. One author, recognised across the partisan spectrum, as the quintessential bellwether who warned lucidly and presciently about the rise of totalitarianism, George Orwell, however, took some exception with this onerous duty, arguing it was the responsibility of every last one of us to stay informed. Culture, in any form, is not impervious to the prevailing political climate.