September sees the return of the George Orwell Festival

September sees the return of the George Orwell Festival at Letchworth, after the huge success of its inaugural programme last year. Although the organisers are planning a full 10-day festival for 2013, such has been the excited response to this concerted attempt to gather Orwell enthusiasts and experts in and around the village of Wallington, Herts, where he lived from 1936 to 1947, that they have rustled up an intriguing four-day series of events running from Thurs 20 to Sun 23 September. The full details can be viewed at www.georgeorwellfestival.org but in outline the long weekend consists of four major components: An Orwell Prize debate “Poverty Then and Now: Orwell and his Successors” (Panel: Stephen Armstrong, Dr Michael Sayeau, Gavin Knight (author: Hood Rat), Jacqueline Crooks (director of Befriend a Family), chair, Katriona Lewis of the Orwell Prize); a lecture at David’s bookshop, Letchworth in which Keith Armstrong and Peter Common will talk about the life of Peter’s father Jack, friend and house minder of Orwell in Wallington; a Wallington Walk (a guided walk around the village including Orwell’s sites – the cottage, the church where he was married, and “Manor Farm” the inspiration for Animal Farm); plus a Spanish flavoured lunch at La Concha Wine and Tapas bar, Letchworth. Online at www.georgeorwellfestival.org