Georg
e^ Orw
ell
Eric^ Arthur^ Blair^ was^ born^ inMotihari,^north-east^ India^ on^25 June1903 ,^ and^grew^ up^ in^ England.^ After^ graduating^from^ Eton^ College,^ he^ spent^ five^ years^in^ the^ Imperial Police^ in^ Burma^ (now^Myanmar),^ which^ left^ him^ with^ a^ keen^sense^ of^ political^ outrage^ and^ personal^guilt.^ He^ drifted^ between^ journal-ism,^ tramping^and^ menial^ jobs,^ which^informed^ his^first^ book^ Downand^ Out^in^ Paris^ and^ London^ (^1933 ),^ published^under^ the^ pseudonym^ George^ Orwell.^During^ the^1930 s,^ he^ published^ four^novels^ and^ twomore^ works^ of non-^fiction.^ The^ Road^ to^ Wigan^ Pier (^1937 )^examined^ working-class^ lifein^ the^north^ of^ England,^ while^ Homage^ to^Catalonia^ (^1938 )^ described^ his experi-ences^ in^ the^ Spanish^ Civil^ War.Classified^ unfit for^ military^ ser-vice^ in^ the^ Second^ World^ War, Orwell^worked^ for^ theBBC’s^ Indian^ Section^for^ two^ years. Upon^ leaving
the^ BBC^ in^1943 ,^ he^ joined the^ left-wingmagazine^Tribune,^ wroteAnimal^ Farm^ (^1945 )^ and^adopted^ a^ son, Richard^ Blair. In^1945 ,^
while^ Orwell^ was^ working^ asa^ war^reporter^ in^ Europe,^ his^ wifeEileen^ died^suddenly.^ Thefollowing^ year, Orwell^moved^ to^ Jura^in^ the^ Inner^ Hebrides,^and^ began^ writing^ Nineteen^ Eighty-Four.^Delayed^ because^ of^ Orwell’s^journalism^commitments and^ hospitalisation^ for^tuberculosis,^the^ book^ was^ published^on^8 June^1949. This^ dystopian
novel^is^ set^ in^ a^ year(which^ may^ ormay^ not^be^1984 )^ in^ what^ was^ then^ thefuture^ in^Airstrip^ One^ (Britain),^ now^ part^ of^ Oce-ania,^ one^ of^ three^ warring^ superstates.^The^ totalitarian ruling^ Party^ –whose^leader,^ Big^ Brother,^ is^ the^ centre^ of^ a^powerful^ personality^ cult,^ even^ though^he^ may^ not^ exist^ –^ exerts^ total^ control^over^ both^ actions^ and^ thoughts,^ con-stantly^ monitoring^ Oceania’s^people^and^ rewritinghistory^ to^ match^ present^political^ requirements.^
Orwell^ married^ Sonia^ Brownell^ in^October^1949 in^ hospital^ in^ London,^where^ he^ died^on^21 January^1950.The history behind 1984
Future imperfect
Eric Blair, who wrote under
the pen name George
Orwell. His experiences in
Burma fuelled his disdain
for imperialism, but he also
witnessed the pitfalls of
socialist regimesGETTY^ IMAGES