George Orwell Biography and Timeline — Page 2

Inside the Whale

Publishes Inside the Whale and Other Essays.

Role range: 1903-1950

Boys' Weeklies

Publishes Boys' Weeklies on popular children's papers.

Role range: 1903-1950

Charles Dickens

Publishes a major essay on Charles Dickens.

Role range: 1903-1950

My Country Right or Left

Orwell published My Country Right or Left, exploring patriotism and left-wing political commitment.

New Words Essay

Orwell discussed language invention and meaning in his essay New Words.

Home Guard

Serves in the Home Guard during the war.

Role range: 1939-1945 – 1903-1950

The Lion and the Unicorn

Publishes The Lion and the Unicorn.

Role range: 1903-1950

BBC Eastern Service Employment

Orwell joined the BBC Eastern Service and produced broadcasts aimed at audiences in India.

Literature and Totalitarianism Broadcast

Orwell discussed the conflict between imaginative freedom and totalitarian politics in a radio talk.

The Art of Donald McGill

Orwell published an essay examining seaside postcards and popular comic culture.

Looking Back on Spanish War

Orwell wrote Looking Back on the Spanish War, reflecting on propaganda and contested truth.

Rudyard Kipling Essay

Orwell published a critical essay considering Kipling's writing and the moral assumptions of empire.

The Rediscovery of Europe Broadcast

Orwell delivered a radio talk exploring literary connections across Europe.

BBC Resignation

Resigns from the BBC.

Role range: 1903-1950

As I Please

Begins the As I Please column for Tribune.

Role range: 1903-1950

Tribune

Becomes literary editor of Tribune.

Role range: 1903-1950

Literature and the Left

Orwell wrote about tensions between political allegiance and literary independence.

Poetry and the Microphone

Orwell's essay Poetry and the Microphone considered how broadcasting might connect poets with audiences.

Animal Farm Draft

Completes the political fable Animal Farm.

Role range: 1903-1950

Adoption of Richard Blair

Adopts Richard Horatio Blair with Eileen.

Role range: 1903-1950

Benefit of Clergy Essay

Orwell examined Salvador Dali's autobiography in Benefit of Clergy, separating artistic accomplishment from morality.

The English People Manuscript

Orwell prepared The English People, a short book on national character and English society.

Death of Eileen Orwell

Eileen Orwell dies during an operation.

Role range: 1903-1950

Notes on Nationalism

Publishes Notes on Nationalism.

Role range: 1903-1950

Animal Farm

Publishes Animal Farm.

Role range: 1903-1950

You and the Atomic Bomb

Publishes You and the Atomic Bomb.

Role range: 1903-1950

Freedom of the Press Preface

Orwell drafted a proposed preface to Animal Farm addressing the suppression of unpopular opinions.

Funny But Not Vulgar Essay

Orwell considered comic performance and popular entertainment in Funny But Not Vulgar.

Good Bad Books Essay

Orwell defended the continuing pleasure and cultural importance of popular fiction in Good Bad Books.

Revenge Is Sour Essay

Orwell reflected on the dangers of vindictiveness toward defeated enemies in Revenge Is Sour.

A Nice Cup of Tea

Publishes A Nice Cup of Tea.

Role range: 1903-1950

Politics and the English Language

Publishes Politics and the English Language.

Role range: 1903-1950

Some Thoughts on the Common Toad

Publishes Some Thoughts on the Common Toad.

Role range: 1903-1950

Confessions of a Book Reviewer

Publishes Confessions of a Book Reviewer.

Role range: 1903-1950

Barnhill

Moves to Barnhill on the Isle of Jura.

Role range: 1903-1950

Books vs Cigarettes Essay

Orwell compared the costs of reading with other everyday spending in Books vs Cigarettes.

Decline of English Murder

Orwell analyzed public fascination with sensational crime in The Decline of the English Murder.

In Defence of English Cooking

Orwell defended aspects of ordinary English food in an essay about cuisine and national customs.

Pleasure Spots Essay

Orwell questioned whether mechanized entertainment could genuinely provide satisfying leisure in Pleasure Spots.

Politics versus Literature Gulliver

Orwell examined Swift's Gulliver's Travels in an essay about political imagination and literary merit.