Selected Essays
HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.
‘When I was about sixteen I suddenly discovered the joy of mere words’
Best known for his remarkable novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell’s essay writings throughout the 1930s and 40s are just as compelling. From ‘Why I Write’ to ‘Shooting an Elephant’ and ‘A Hanging’, his observations offer contemporary readers a snapshot of Britain during some of its most turbulent decades.
This collection, ranging from Orwell’s experiences as a police officer in South-East Asia to opinion pieces on British political unrest and the horrors of war, is a selection of his most acclaimed essays, which continue to be revered today for their originality and insight.
George Orwell was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair (1903–1950). A renowned journalist, essayist, critic and novelist, he is best known for his novels Animal Farm and 1984, and his work remains influential to this day.