George Orwell Biography

Birth of George Orwell, born Eric Arthur Blair, in Motihari.

Moves to England with his mother and sister.

Begins schooling at St Cyprian's in Eastbourne.

Publishes an early patriotic poem in a local newspaper.

Wins a scholarship place at Eton College.

Leaves Eton without going to university.

Joins the Indian Imperial Police in Burma.

Serves as a colonial police officer in Moulmein.

Returns to England determined to become a writer.

Resigns from the Indian Imperial Police.

Studies poverty by tramping and staying in lodging houses.

Publishes A Hanging, drawing on Burma police experience.

Writes about hop-picking and casual labour in Kent.

Works as a teacher at The Hawthorns school.

Teaches at Frays College after Down and Out is published.

Publishes Down and Out in Paris and London.

Publishes under the name George Orwell.

Works on A Clergyman's Daughter in Southwold.

Works in a Hampstead bookshop.

Publishes A Clergyman's Daughter.

Burmese Days is published in Britain after earlier American publication.

Lives at The Stores in Wallington.

Travels north to investigate working-class life and unemployment.

Researches poverty and industrial conditions for his next book.

Publishes Keep the Aspidistra Flying.

Marries Eileen O'Shaughnessy.

Publishes The Road to Wigan Pier.

Publishes Homage to Catalonia.

Publishes the essay Marrakech.

Publishes Coming Up for Air.

Serves in the Home Guard during the war.

Publishes Boys' Weeklies on popular children's papers.

Publishes a major essay on Charles Dickens.

Publishes Inside the Whale and Other Essays.

Publishes The Lion and the Unicorn.

Begins work for the BBC Eastern Service.

Produces cultural and political broadcasts for Indian audiences.

Resigns from the BBC.

Begins the As I Please column for Tribune.

Becomes literary editor of Tribune.

Completes the political fable Animal Farm.

Adopts Richard Horatio Blair with Eileen.

Eileen Orwell dies during an operation.

Publishes Notes on Nationalism.

Publishes Animal Farm.

Publishes You and the Atomic Bomb.

Publishes The Prevention of Literature.

Publishes Why I Write.

Publishes A Nice Cup of Tea.

Publishes Politics and the English Language.

Publishes Some Thoughts on the Common Toad.

Moves to Barnhill on the Isle of Jura.

Publishes Confessions of a Book Reviewer.

Publishes Lear, Tolstoy and the Fool.

Enters Hairmyres Hospital for tuberculosis treatment.

Works on Nineteen Eighty-Four while seriously ill.

Completes the manuscript of Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Publishes Nineteen Eighty-Four.

States that Nineteen Eighty-Four is not an attack on socialism or the Labour Party.

Explains that Nineteen Eighty-Four is not an attack on democratic socialism.

Moves to University College Hospital in London.

Marries Sonia Brownell in hospital.

Death of George Orwell in London.

Is buried at All Saints' Church, Sutton Courtenay.

Such Such Were the Joys is published after his death.

Animal Farm reaches new audiences through adaptation.

Nineteen Eighty-Four gains a wider audience through broadcasting.

Collected essays, journalism and letters consolidate Orwell's reputation.

Public attention returns strongly to Orwell's dystopian novel.

A major edited edition of Orwell's complete works appears.

His centenary renews public interest in Orwell's life and writing.

The Orwell Prize continues promoting political writing in his name.

Surveillance debates renew interest in Nineteen Eighty-Four.

New biographies mark continuing interest in Orwell's life and influence.