Dorian Lynskey on music, politics and the power of words
Dorian Lynskey (1992) has embarked on a remarkable journey through the world of journalism, evolving into a respected author with a keen eye for the intersection of culture, history, and politics.
Dorian talked to us about his writing career from early forays into music journalism to his insightful books on protest songs and the enduring legacy of George Orwell.
Can you tell us about your journey from studying English at Downing to becoming a journalist and published author?
I started freelancing for dance music and hip-hop magazines (mostly unpaid) in summer 1995 while temping and working in a video shop. I kept writing while studying journalism at City University and went straight into a part-time job as reviews editor for Mixmag. Music magazines were thriving in the 90s, so I wrote for lots of different places (Q, Select, Empire) and started contributing to The Guardian in 2001.
Towards the end of the decade, I was feeling a bit stuck, so I decided to write my first book, 33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs, and start a blog to accompany it. That opened up opportunities to write about politics and review books for titles like the New Statesman and led to me hosting my first podcast, Remainiacs, in 2017.
Unfortunately, magazines kept closing and freelance budgets kept shrinking so I shifted focus to podcasts (Oh God What Now?, Origin Story) and books.
Since 2019 I’ve published five books: The Ministry of Truth: A Biography of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World and three short Origin Story books with my co-host Ian Dunt.
Did you always want to be a writer?
Journalism was always a vague ambition, starting on the school newspaper, but I wasn’t entirely sure about it as a profession until my last year at Downing. I had to choose between journalism and academia and decided that I wanted to get out into the world to meet people and go places. Journalism is a license to do a lot of different things.
You seem to be really interested in how music connects with history and politics. What got you interested in that connection?
I only really became interested in politics in sixth form because of music, especially Public Enemy. It opened my eyes to the world. But it took me years to think about writing a book about protest songs, which was the bridge that enabled me to move from music journalism into political history.
I had to learn so much history in a short space of time and it was a thrilling, mind-expanding experience. Plus I got to meet Public Enemy’s Chuck D in the process. All three of my solo books are about how art and politics inform one another: not just music but literature, TV and cinema. I’ve had other ideas for books but this seems to have become my field of interest.
What's your favourite part of the writing process? Is it the research, the writing itself, or something else?
Many writers say that they find the process painful, but I love all of it. I actually write while I’m researching because I want to get started as soon as possible, when the ideas and discoveries feel fresh. Learning about things is so exciting and I want to channel that energy onto the page so that the reader hopefully feels excited too. It doesn’t matter if the first draft is patchy and messy because it gets me away from the threat of the blank page and then I take great pleasure in the editing and rewriting process.
As a journalist, I still enjoy reporting, interviewing and broadcasting. Writing books can feel quite lonely so I love having other outlets where I get to talk to interesting people.
What is the most challenging aspect of being a writer?
Finding things to do! The freelance environment is so much more difficult than it was when I started, and I don’t know if I could still survive on journalism alone. And pitching a book is much more painful than writing one, because you’re trying to convince somebody to give you a shot. The great thing about the Origin Story podcast is that Ian and I have complete freedom to cover what we want in the way we want to. Nobody can say no, which is a novel experience.
What advice would you give to aspiring journalists and writers?
Work on your craft. Most young journalists want to ask about pitching articles and making connections with editors, but none of that is useful if the writing isn’t good enough yet. Read widely and constantly. Think hard about style and structure. Always ask yourself how you could be better. I wasn’t very confident at all when I started, so the only way I knew how to prove myself to editors was to make the writing speak for me.
What are your key memories/takeaways from your time at Downing?
I was very intimidated by the idea of Cambridge and made a deal with my parents that I could leave after the first term if I hated it, but I was very lucky to meet four people in Freshers’ Week who are still close friends. All you need is a few people like that. I did love studying English, especially as the course became more flexible and I could pursue my own interests.
But the gigs and clubs and late-night conversations were just as important. I arrived a rather shy, unhappy boy from the suburbs and left as someone completely different. That’s what University should do.
Who is your favourite writer/author at the moment?
In fiction, Emily St John Mandel amazes me. I’ve read hundreds of novels about the end of the world and Station Eleven is possibly the best, for its imagination, elegance and empathy. In non-fiction, I don’t know of a better essayist than the New Yorker’s Jill Lepore. I’m always trying to do what she does while knowing that I can’t get there.
What is your favourite book?
At Downing I would always say my favourite novel was Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness but I’ve read so much now that it’s impossible to pick one. So, I will cheat and say The Complete Works of George Orwell. I’ve read all 20 volumes — novels, journalism, diaries, letters — and there is no writer I would rather spend time with.
Published 7 May 2025