A remarkable handwritten letter by George Orwell discussing politics, children’s literature and the possibility of creating a left-leaning weekly for young readers is set to go under the hammer in Stonehouse.
The three-page letter was written by Orwell in May 1940 to fellow author Geoffrey Trease, one of Britain’s best-known writers of historical fiction for children.
Now being offered by Quire Auctions, the letter provides a fascinating glimpse into the mind of one of the 20th century’s most influential writers at a pivotal moment in his career.
Orwell discusses the importance of producing “intelligent fiction for kids” and refers to the published response of writer Frank Richards to his influential essay Boys’ Weeklies.
According to Quire Auctions director Mark Skipper, the reference may have provided further motivation for Orwell to explore the idea of producing a politically left-leaning weekly publication for children.
“Orwell letters are seldom seen at market, with the majority held institutionally in museums and archives, so to see a letter of this length and so politically engaged is remarkable,” said Mr Skipper.
“Orwell even references the published response of Frank Richards to his article ‘Boys Weeklies’, the inclusion of which suggests further incentive for Orwell to create a left-leaning weekly for children in response.”
Trease’s own response to Orwell’s letter is now held in the George Orwell Archives at University College London, adding another layer of significance to the surviving correspondence.
George Orwell was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, who was born in India in 1903 and died in London in 1950, aged just 46.
He became one of the most influential political writers and novelists of the 20th century, best known for Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.
But Orwell’s career went far beyond those two famous novels.
He worked as a policeman in Burma before turning to writing, and his experiences of poverty, social inequality and imperialism became central themes throughout his work.
He deliberately experienced life among people living in poverty, including periods of living rough and working low-paid jobs in Paris and London. His experiences later informed Down and Out in Paris and London and The Road to Wigan Pier.
His political outlook was profoundly shaped by his experiences during the Spanish Civil War, where he fought on the Republican side in 1937. Orwell was shot in the throat and witnessed the suppression of political factions within the Republican movement.
The experience strengthened his opposition to totalitarianism and helped shape the political convictions that would underpin much of his later writing.
The Orwell Foundation says that from 1936 onwards, Orwell regarded his serious writing as being written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and in favour of democratic socialism as he understood it.
His political writing was often rooted in a belief that language could be used either to reveal the truth or to disguise it.
That philosophy would eventually produce Animal Farm, published in 1945, and Nineteen Eighty-Four, published in 1949.
Animal Farm became a devastating satire of the Soviet political system, while Nineteen Eighty-Four imagined a dystopian society dominated by surveillance, propaganda and the manipulation of truth.
The latter introduced phrases and concepts including Big Brother, Newspeak, doublethink, the Thought Police and Room 101 into popular culture.
Yet the letter now coming to auction shows Orwell thinking about politics in a very different literary form – and specifically about what children and young people were reading.
The letter was written only months after Orwell published Boys’ Weeklies, an essay examining the popular boys’ adventure papers of the era.
The essay appeared in Horizon in March 1940 and was subsequently included in Orwell’s collection Inside the Whale.
Orwell was fascinated by the influence such publications could have on young readers and examined the values and attitudes promoted through their stories.
His correspondence with Trease suggests he was considering whether there was an opportunity to provide children with something different – fiction that could entertain while also offering a more socially and politically conscious perspective.
That makes his reference to “intelligent fiction for kids” particularly striking.
The letter is especially significant because relatively few Orwell letters come onto the open market.
Much of his surviving correspondence is held by museums, universities and archives, meaning a three-page handwritten letter offering such a direct insight into his political and literary thinking is an unusual opportunity for collectors.
The letter also connects two important figures in children’s literature.
Geoffrey Trease (1909-1998) was a hugely prolific writer whose books were read by generations of young people. His best-known novel, Cue for Treason, was published in 1940 – the same year Orwell wrote this letter.
Trease published around 113 works, predominantly for children and young adults, from the 1930s through to the 1990s. His historical novels were renowned for their attention to accuracy, while his earlier work was marked by a strong left-wing influence.
The Orwell letter comes directly from the estate of Geoffrey Trease and forms part of a much larger archive being offered for sale.
The collection includes original manuscripts and numerous books signed by Trease to family members.
Much of the material comes from the family collection of Jocelyn Everett (née Trease), the daughter of Geoffrey Trease and Marian Trease (née Boyer).
Quire Auctions says it represents the first time an archive of this kind has come to market.
The majority of Trease’s own archive – including copies, manuscripts and notes – is held by Seven Stories – The National Centre for Children’s Books in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The Orwell letter and wider Geoffrey Trease archive carry a combined estimate of £5,000 to £8,000.
They are due to be offered as part of Quire Auctions’ September sale, which finishes on 16 September.
