Animal Farm

Not all satires are equal. Written in 1943–4, and eventually – after a series of publishers’ rejections, including one inspired by a Soviet spy – published in 1945, Animal Farm: A Fairy Story chronicles the revolution of the animals against Mr Jones at Manor Farm. An allegory on the Soviet regime, Animal Farm was banned in the Eastern bloc and is one of the great political works of the 20th Century.

In the following short film, Orwell’s biographer D. J. Taylor and George Orwell’s son, Richard Blair, celebrate the 75th anniversary of the book’s publication by unpacking the extraordinary story behind the story – from the book’s initial rejection by several publishers to the adoption of George and Eileen’s son, Richard, and Eileen’s unexpected death soon after.

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