Biography

George Orwell

George Orwell was born on the 25th of June 1903, in Motihari, India. He was born into the middle class by his father, Richard Walmsley Blair, and his Mother, Ida Mabel Blair. His great-grandfather, Charles Blair, was wealthy and owned slaves. His grandfather, Thomas Richard Arthur Blair, was an Anglican clergyman. His dad was a Sub-Deputy Opium Agent, who oversaw India's opium sales to China. Orwell had 2 sisters, Marjorie, who was 5 years older, and Avril, who was 5 years younger. 

Orwell studied at Eton College from May 1917 to December 1921. Orwell's grades were subpar at Eton, and his parents could not afford to send him to university without a scholarship. He then became a police officer in Burma, where he became an Assistant District Superintendent on 29 November 1922. After he faced troubled times in Burma, he moved to Moulmein in 1926, where his Grandmother lived. A short while later, he was assigned to Katha, in upper Burma, where he contracted dengue fever in 1927. While on holiday with his family, he decided not to return to Burma, and left the Indian Police. 

He then moved back to London, where got back in touch with old friends and mentors from Eton. He then move to rue du Pot de Fer, a working class district in Paris. He became a journalist and published articles in Monde. He became very sick in February of 1929, which is what inspired him to write how the poor die. After 2 years in Paris, he moved back to Southwold England, where he lived with his parents for 5 years.

During this time, he worked as a teacher and bookstore clerk while continuing to write. In 1933, he adopted the pen name “George Orwell” and published Down and Out in Paris and London. He went on to write several books, including Burmese Days (1934), Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936), and The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), which explored poverty and class struggles in England. Orwell also fought in the Spanish Civil War in 1936 on the side of the anti-fascist Republicans, an experience that shaped his views and led to his book Homage to Catalonia.

Later, Orwell focused more on political themes. His most famous works, Animal Farm (1945) and 1984 (1949), critiqued totalitarian regimes and the abuse of power. 1984, in particular, introduced concepts like “Big Brother,” “thoughtcrime,” and “Newspeak,” which are still referenced in political discussions today.

George Orwell suffered from tuberculosis throughout his later life. He moved to the Isle of Jura in Scotland in hopes that the remote location would aid his recovery. However, his health worsened, and he died on January 21, 1950, in London at the age of 46. Despite his relatively short life, Orwell left behind a powerful legacy of political writing, journalism, and cultural critique that continues to influence the world today.

Key Life Events Timeline

• June 25, 1903 – Born in Motihari, India.

• 1917–1921 – Attended Eton College.

• 1922 – Joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma.

• 1927 – Contracted dengue fever; resigned from police service.

• 1928–1930 – Lived in Paris and London in poverty; began writing.

• 1933 – Published Down and Out in Paris and London.

• 1936 – Traveled to northern England and wrote The Road to Wigan Pier.

• 1936–1937 – Fought in the Spanish Civil War; wounded.

• 1938 – Published Homage to Catalonia.

• 1945 – Published Animal Farm, gaining international recognition.

• 1949 – Published 1984, his most famous work.

• January 21, 1950 – Died in London of tuberculosis, age 46.