SPELLING BEE COMPETITION WINNER

 And we have a winner for this year's Spelling Bee Competition!

It was organised and carried out by the PEN AND INK team of 2025-26, on Friday April 3rd 2026, with the assistance of Chrysoula Paroussi, the school's english teacher. 

Congradulations to our 3rd year student, Christos Chatzis Stepits, for excelling in this year's competition!

The prize was the novel 1984 by George Orwell, first published in 1949.

Goerge Orwell's 1984 is a seminal dystopian novel detailing a terrifying totalitarian society ruled by "The Party" and its figurehead, Big Brother. It follows Winston Smith, an ordinary man, who risks execution by attempting to maintain his individuality and engaging in a forbidden love affair with Julia, while defying constant surveillance and historical revisionism.

Key Elements of 1984:

• Setting: The novel takes place in Airstrip One (formerly London), within the superstate of Oceania. The world is perpetually at war, and the Party maintains control through fear and propaganda.
Surveillance: Citizens are monitored 24/7 by "telescreens" and the "Thought Police" to prevent disloyalty or independent thought.
The Party's Goal: The Party seeks absolute power for its own sake, rewriting history and controlling information, which is embodied by the phrases "War is Peace," "Freedom is Slavery," and "Ignorance is Strength".
Winston Smith: A low-ranking Party member working at the Ministry of Truth, editing past news reports to match current propaganda. He secretly rebels against this restrictive, dehumanizing life.
The Affair: Winston and a woman named Julia start a forbidden romance, representing a desperate desire for humanity and freedom.
The Outcome: The narrative explores the crushing of the individual spirit by the state, with the ultimate focus on the total destruction of truth and privacy.
    (Information on this book taken from Wikipedia)