Davison’s “Orwells”

After the publication of George Orwell’s Complete Works in 1998 the editor, Professor Peter Davison, prepared four theme volumes for Penguin Books to be published in softcover. Each large paperback appeared with an Introduction by an acknowledged Orwell commentator.

The volumes were:

Orwell and the Dispossessed

With an Introduction by Peter Clarke. This volume contains Down and Out in Paris and London, and Orwell’s other writings on the under-classes.

Orwell’s England

With an Introduction by Ben Pimlott. This volume contains both The Road to Wigan Pier, and the post-war The English People, as well as extracts from Orwell’s Wigan Pier diaries, and his other writings about social life.

Ben Pimlott’s Introduction is available to read on the Orwell Foundation website.

Orwell in Spain

With an Introduction by Christopher Hitchens. This volume contains Homage to Catalonia, and Orwell’s other journalism and responses to the Spanish Civil War.

Orwell and Politics

With an Introduction by Timothy Garton Ash. This volume contains The Lion and the Unicorn, his review of Hitler’s Mein Kampf, notes on Nineteen Eighty-Four, and more.

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A later volume was added on the same principle as the above four.

Seeing Things As They Are: Selected Journalism

Professor Davison himself wrote the Introduction to this volume.

In his review then-Chair of the Orwell Society Richard Lance Keeble called Orwell’s work collected here “far beyond mere hackery“.

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