Eric Blair met Ernest Hemingway for the first time in Paris. He introduced himself as “Eric Blair”. “What the f*ing hell to you want?” came the reply. “I’m George Orwell.” “Why the f*ing hell didn’t you say so?”

It was Blair, son of a retired Assistant Sub-Deputy Opium Agent,third grade, who could open a small shop in a village south of London and barely be noticed by the townsfolk, but it was Orwell whose name became a famous dystopian adjective. It was almost the best of both worlds.

We will read works by Orwell and reflect on the life of Blair.

Suggested Readings

• Orwell – The Authorised Biography by Michael Shelden
• Orwell – The New Life by D.J. Taylor

Bibliography

This will be updated throughout the course, so check back each week.