George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair) – 20th-century English writer, author of 1984 and Animal Farm. He served in colonial Burma and fought in the Spanish Civil War. His works combine satire, critique of totalitarianism, and defence of free speech. The term “Orwellian” has become a cultural symbol of resistance to oppression.
📚 His pen name came from the River Orwell in England. ⚔️ Volunteered in the Spanish Civil War, where he was wounded. 📰 Worked as a journalist, reporting on poverty in London and Paris. 📖 Homage to Catalonia is his candid account of the war. 🐖 Animal Farm satirised Soviet totalitarianism. 🌍 1984 introduced “Newspeak,” “doublethink,” and “Big Brother.” 🏠 Lived on Jura island in Scotland, where he completed 1984. 🖋️ Influenced writers like Ray Bradbury and Margaret Atwood. 📖 His prose is known for clarity and plain style. 😲 Curious fact: sometimes appeared at literary events in shabby clothes due to poverty. 😄 Funny fact: on Jura he kept a goat, joking it was his “true editor.”