"All history was a palimpsest": Winston Smith as records manager in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

This article examines the role of Winston Smith as a records manager in George Orwell's *Nineteen Eighty-Four*, highlighting how Orwell used the profession to explore themes of information control and historical revisionism under totalitarian regimes. It situates Smith's work within the historical development of records management as a profession in the mid-20th century and draws parallels to real-world practices by organizations such as the Stasi and the FBI. The article also discusses contemporary challenges faced by records managers, including the fragility of digital records and the complexities introduced by artificial intelligence in managing historical information. Ultimately, it emphasizes the ambiguous nature of records management as both a tool for accountability and a potential instrument of power, underscoring the critical role of records professionals in safeguarding the integrity of the past.