Richard Blair: Q&A 2019

*

In the autumn of 2019 Victor Rosa and a group of his fellow students in Brazil asked Richard Blair to answer some of their questions. We are pleased to publish the exchange.

*

1) Recently, in Brazil, the book “1984” surfaced when some people began to draw similarities between the current government and Orwell’s dystopia. How should we deal with these similarities that seem so alarming? Does the Orwell Society somehow seek to bring a kind of “awareness” of these dangers?

I think that people from all over the world when reading Nineteen Eighty Four are bound to draw parallels with the warnings that my father suggested could happen, if those who are in power are allowed to pursue their own agenda. The “Orwell Society” does not draw definitive conclusions about world affairs in the sense that our members are perfectly entitled to say what they like(providing it is not absolutely outrageous), the society’s policy is one of neutrality. We have members from all parts of the world, (about 250 at the last count) but we do not have the power to interfere with authorities of government.

2) Your father was an avid defender of free speech and a fierce critic of totalitarianism. How do you see the extent of this vision today? What is the need to think about freedom of expression today?

The need for freedom of expression is as important today as it ever was. Now that we have “fake news” being disseminated at the press of a button and is being used to cover up thinly disguised lies (was it ever thus!). We are now having the problem of the younger generation (the snowflake generation) of refusing to allow speakers from giving talks if the subject falls outside their sphere of ideology; so you have, not only authorities banning free speech, but also groups of individuals also denying freedom of speech, because they are unable to accept another point of view. This leads to a dangerous confrontation which can lead to misunderstanding and violence.

3) Your father sought to make “the political text an art” and was heavily persecuted by those criticized. Today, with the speed with which information dissipates, this pursuit is less, but it happens! How can the journalists handle this?

The quotation you refer to was that my  father wanted to turn “Political writing into an Art Form” and I guess the best way is to be clear in thought and to give an honest account of your subject.

4) Speaking of literary journalism: what is the best way to do journalism and combat totalitarian ideas that go against freedom of expression?

Not being a journalist myself, that is more difficult to answer, except to say “keep the narrative simple and don’t be afraid of the truth”

5) Orwell was an essayist and also wrote a lot of articles. Today we can identify journalists working along the same lines. On the other hand “1984” and “Animal Farm” are practically unique works, if there are similar works they did not have the worldwide repercussion that Orwell achieved. What is the need for this kind of fictional work witch talks with reality? Do you see a gap in journalistic-literary production in this sense?

The problem has always been that Orwell has only been remembered for his last two books. We at the society have always promoted all his works. Some of his best writings are his essays. He was very adept at writing on all sorts of subjects from the serious to the quirky with equal facility. As for his previous books he is also now being recognised for his three non- fiction works; Down and out in Paris and London, The Road to Wigan Pier and Homage to Catalonia. All works of great merit, as indeed were his books of fiction. Orwell was a man who very quickly understood what was going on around him and after his experiences in the Spanish Civil War and the exploitation by he communists of ordinary people, he came to despise totalitarianism and this was the genesis of his last two books, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty Four.

VR) Thank you very very much!

*

Uploaded 14 December 2019