The Farm That Talked Back

His book, Animal Farm was actually based on real-life political figures! The character Napoleon the pig represents Joseph Stalin, and Snowball is a nod to Leon Trotsky. Orwell cleverly disguised the Russian Revolution in a barnyard setting.

A Real Name with a Twist

George Orwell wasn’t his real name! He was born Eric Arthur Blair. He chose the pen name “George Orwell” to reflect his deep connection with England. “George” was a very British name, and “Orwell” was inspired by the River Orwell in Suffolk, one of his favorite places.

The Not-So-Ordinary Orwell:

Orwell wasn’t just an armchair intellectual. He actually joined a militia to fight against Franco’s fascists in Spain. His experiences inspired his book Homage to Catalonia.

Big Brother’s Watchdog

Orwell coined the term "Big Brother," which is now a part of pop culture and synonymous with surveillance. His novel 1984 gave us terms like Newspeak and doublethink, proving that Orwell had a knack for creating eerie visions of the future.

Even Orwell Had to Pay the Bills
Even literary geniuses have to keep the lights on! Eric Blair (a.k.a. George Orwell) wasn’t just sitting around penning masterpieces—he was juggling jobs like the rest of us. Over the years, Blair dabbled in a colorful range of gigs to make ends meet. He started off as a police officer with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma (modern-day Myanmar), where he fought crime and, presumably, sweltered in the tropical heat. 

Later, he traded his badge for a blackboard, teaching high school students, then tried his hand at being a bookstore clerk, before moving on to more unique roles. During World War II, he worked as a propagandist for the BBC—basically, a master of spin for the British government!

But that’s not all. Blair was also a literary editor, a war correspondent, and—wait for it—a dishwasher in Paris! Yes, he scrubbed pots and pans in the City of Light while gathering material for his first book, Down and Out in Paris and London. Oh, and let’s not forget his time spent as a hop-picker in the fields of Kent, England, which wasn’t so much a job as it was immersive research for his writing while “living as a tramp.”

By the time his first book was ready to hit the shelves, Blair decided he needed a snazzier name. So, George Orwell was born, and it stuck—thankfully, because Animal Farm by Eric Blair doesn’t quite have the same ring, does it?

Orwell's Not-So-Secret Love for Tea

Orwell was a tea fanatic. He even wrote an essay called "A Nice Cup of Tea" with 11 detailed rules on how to make the perfect brew. His love for the beverage was quintessentially British!

The Man Who Wrote in Pain

Orwell wrote 1984 while suffering from tuberculosis, a disease that would ultimately claim his life. He completed the novel while confined to a remote house on the Isle of Jura in Scotland, battling severe illness but determined to finish his dystopian masterpiece.  Orwell was bedridden and severely ill with tuberculosis when he passed away on January 21, 1950, at the age of 46.