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- Bailey83221 (
bailey83221) wrote,
Animal Farm suppression
Animal Farm, the savage satire against Stalin, became a worldwide best-seller but publication was delayed by sensitivity to Britain's Russian ally. GEORGE ORWELL, above, in his proposed preface, rails against the servile orthodoxy of the English intelligentsia
Copyright Reserved The Estate of the late Sonia Brownell Orwell
This preface is included in Animal Farm - a 50th anniversary edition illustrated by Ralph Steadman and published by Secker & Warburg price pounds 14.99
THIS BOOK was first thought of, so far as the central idea goes, in 1937, but was not written down until about the end of 1943. By the time when it came to be written it was obvious that there would be great difficulty in getting it published (in spite of the present book shortage which ensures that anything describable as a book will "sell"), and in the event it was refused by four publishers. Only one of these had any ideological motive. Two had been publishing anti-Russian books for years, and the other had no noticeable political colour. One publisher actually started by accepting the book, but after making the preliminary arrangements he decided to consult the Ministry of Information, who appear to have warned him, or at any rate strongly advised him, against publishing it.
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