PACKED WITH POWER
ERIC ARTHUR BLAIR, born in India to a wealthy family, educated at Eton, a policeman in Burma, essayist in Paris, teacher in London, fighter in the Spanish Civil War, vociferous opponent of totalitarianism and democratic socialism supporter whose literary works were packed with power and impact, renamed himself prior to his first book being published. From then on, he was known as George Orwell.
What is less well known is that George Orwell was a journalist more or less throughout his working life. He has been quoted as saying that he regarded himself as “a journalist first and foremost.”
In this role he explored, commented on and described the acute social and cultural issues that were in the news and being argued in political circles. He was an avid reader and follower of leading political writers George Bernard Shaw and H G Wells.
Aged 14 he had his first set of observations, in poetic format, published in the weekly Henley & South Oxfordshire Standard. During his time at Eton he was the often controversial co-editor of the college’s magazine, The Election Times.
BECOMING A WRITER
After his law-protecting role in the Far East he returned to England and sought advice from former tutors at Eton about becoming a full-time writer. The starting point, it was agreed, should be with the press. “Tell about what you see and know.”
The next move was to Paris. George had articles published in the literary journal Le Monde and the left-wing Le Progres Civique. He sent essays back to England, many of which were used, and he became a regular contributor to the New Adelphi magazine. Further work appeared in the New Statesman.
George was to spend most of his news-related life producing features and reviews. Back in England and after a spell in teaching, he became the literary editor and senior writer for socialist Tribune magazine. He was a reporter for The Observer and Manchester Evening News. His news gathering included work as a foreign correspondent in France and Germany. Later, the BBC employed him as an editor and programme producer.
MASTERPIECE
This year, 2019, marks the 70th anniversary of publication of the Orwellian satire ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’. Many have argued that this masterpiece was, in fact, a journalistic novel.
Whatever, his social observations have become maxims of the English language. In his essay ‘Politics and the English Language’ he wrote about the importance of precise and clear language, setting out a series of rules for writers. The best known is “never use a long word where a short one will do”.
Fittingly, one of George’s longest surviving quotations is from his period as an editor and leader-writer with Tribune. It was brief and pointed.
He wrote: “Do remember that dishonesty and cowardice always have to be paid for. Don’t imagine that for years on end you can make yourself the boot-licking propagandist of the Soviet regime, or any other regime, and then return to mental decency. Once a whore, always a whore.”
George’s neologisms are just as memorable – “big brother”, “thought police”, “room 101” and “news-speak” being examples. This was a prolific all-around writer: one who had newspapers and magazines flowing through his ink.
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