Monthly Archives: July 2011

Orwell contra Huxley

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Gofblog

In his latest Student Operated Press posting, Djelloul Marbrook recalls a comparison of Orwell and Aldous Huxley by cultural critic Neil Postman in his 1985 book Amusing Ourselves to Death that’s worth recalling: “What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. … Continue reading →

Posted in Orwell oddities | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Oliver Heald: Orwell Festival “an excellent initiative”

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Gofblog

Gofblog is pleased to relay a message of support for the George Orwell Festival from Conservative MP for Hertfordshire North East Oliver Heald, who writes: “George Orwell’s Animal Farm has inspired and challenged many generations of young people to think … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcements | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Orwell’s house for rent…

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Gofblog

Oxfordshire letting agents are making much of the fact that what’s “thought to be” one of Orwell’s childhood homes, in the town of Shiplake, where the Blairs lived between 1912 and 1915, has come onto the market for rent. According to some … Continue reading →

Posted in Orwell oddities | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

“There are so many apt Orwell quotations that can be applied to the ‘News of the World’…”

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Gofblog

Francis Phillips, writing in today’s Catholic Herald, suggests some favourites…

Posted in Orwell today | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“George Orwell was no fan of the ‘News of the World’…”

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Gofblog

‘The essay quoted by the News of the World in its final editorial was no defence of muckraking journalism. But George Orwell would have been amused to find his words taken out of context…’ Read more of Robert McCrum’s Guardian.co.uk … Continue reading →

Posted in Orwell today | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Re. Henry Miller’s changing jacket…

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Gofblog

Passing through Paris en route to the Spanish Civil War in December 1936, Orwell dropped in on expatriate American writer Henry Miller at his studio in Villa Seurat. Orwell had praised Miller’s novel ‘Tropic of Cancer’ (1934), and the two had … Continue reading →

Posted in Orwell oddities | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Raising the bar for pub names

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Gofblog

Returning to the topic of Orwell commemoration, it’s probably worth a mention that he has had at least two UK pubs named in his honour. There’s The George Orwell at 382 Essex Road, Islington, London (N1 3PF), not too far away from … Continue reading →

Posted in Orwell today | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Carry on ‘Mein Kampf’-ing

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Gofblog

One of the more extraordinary (if minor) revelations in Jeffrey Meyer’s biography of Orwell crops up in his account of Orwell’s stint at the BBC Eastern Service. Meyer writes: ‘During the war [the BBC] continued to pay Hitler royalties, through … Continue reading →

Posted in Orwell oddities | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Streets behind on Orwell place naming?

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Gofblog

Orwell hated the idea of hero-worship. Although his writings were often autobiographical, he forbade anyone to write a biography of him. He wanted his works to be all that he might be remembered by. And yet, despite several biographies published … Continue reading →

Posted in Orwell today | Tagged , , | Leave a comment