George Orwell: A Detailed Biography

George Orwell (1903–1950), born Eric Arthur Blair, was the conscience of the 20th century. His novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, essays like “Politics and the English Language”, and experiences in the Spanish Civil War made him the greatest political writer in English. This biography covers his imperial childhood, poverty immersion, war wound, prophetic masterpieces, and early death, as documented by the British Library, the Orwell Foundation, and the BBC History.

Early Life in British India and England

Motihari and Eton

Born on June 25, 1903, in Motihari, Bengal, Orwell was the son of a minor colonial official. Sent “home” to England at age one, he won a scholarship to Eton but felt like an outsider among the rich boys, as detailed in his essay “Such, Such Were the Joys”, available via the Orwell Foundation.

Burmese Days and Down and Out

Imperial Policeman and Tramp

From 1922–1927 he served in the Indian Imperial Police in Burma — an experience that turned him against imperialism (later fictionalised in Burmese Days). Resigning in 1927, he deliberately lived in poverty in Paris and London, washing dishes and sleeping in spikes, producing Down and Out in Paris and London (1933) — his first book under the pen name “George Orwell”, as recounted by the British Library.

Spanish Civil War and Political Awakening

In December 1936 Orwell went to Spain to fight fascism. Joining the Marxist POUM militia, he was shot through the throat in 1937. Betrayed by Stalinist communists, he barely escaped arrest. Homage to Catalonia (1938) became his testament to truth against totalitarian lies, as preserved by the Orwell Foundation.

World War II and BBC Years

Rejected for military service due to health, Orwell worked for the BBC Eastern Service (1941–1943) producing propaganda — an experience that fed his hatred of “Newspeak” and shaped Nineteen Eighty-Four, as documented by the BBC Archive.

Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four

Masterpieces

Animal Farm (1945), rejected by several publishers afraid of offending Stalin, became an instant classic. While dying of tuberculosis on the island of Jura, Orwell finished Nineteen Eighty-Four (published June 1949) — the ultimate warning against totalitarianism, as analysed by the British Library.

Personal Life

Married Eileen O’Shaughnessy in 1936; they adopted a son, Richard. Eileen died in 1945. In 1949, weeks before his death, Orwell married Sonia Brownell in a hospital ceremony.

Death and Legacy

George Orwell’s Enduring Impact

Orwell died of a lung haemorrhage on January 21, 1950, in University College Hospital, London, aged 46. His name became an adjective: “Orwellian”. Terms like Big Brother, doublethink, and thought police are now part of everyday language. His insistence on clarity, truth, and democratic socialism remains more relevant than ever, as celebrated by the Orwell Prize and the New York Times.

Frequently Asked Questions About George Orwell

Why Is George Orwell Famous?

For Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four — the two most powerful warnings against totalitarianism ever written.

What Is the Meaning of Orwellian?

Totalitarian control, surveillance, propaganda, and manipulation of truth.

Where Was George Orwell Born?

Motihari, British India (now India), June 25, 1903.

Why Did Orwell Fight in the Spanish Civil War?

To fight fascism; he was shot in the throat and wrote Homage to Catalonia.

What Is Animal Farm About?

A satirical allegory of the Russian Revolution and Stalin’s betrayal of it.

Did Orwell Work for the BBC?

Yes — 1941–1943 producing propaganda, an experience that shaped Nineteen Eighty-Four.

How Did George Orwell Die?

Tuberculosis — lung haemorrhage on January 21, 1950, at age 46.