NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Some complete works by George Orwell are coming to Substack.
On Oct. 28, the Orwell Foundation will launch , which for free will serialize at least a portion of the author's famous books and other writings. Orwell Daily begins with his debut, 鈥淒own and Out in London and Paris," Orwell's expose of poverty in two of the world's wealthiest cities. Over the following several weeks, the Substack will run excerpts of some 1,000-1,500 words.
鈥淲e鈥檙e here to honor and celebrate and get people to think about Orwell,鈥� says the foundation's director, Jean Seaton.
Orwell, the pen name for Eric Arthur Blair, is known for the dystopian political novels as 鈥淎nimal Farm鈥� and 鈥�1984,鈥� published the year before his death, in 1950. Admirers cite the British author often when warning about democracy鈥檚 decline, but the foundation also wants to raise awareness of his writing about homelessness in 鈥淒own and Out in London and Paris,鈥� first published in 1933.
鈥淚t was his first piece of real reportage,鈥� Orwell's son, Richard Blair, said in a statement released Friday. "Orwell wanted to see what it was like to be in the gutter 鈥� what it was like to be seen as a 鈥榯ramp鈥�. There are many miniature essays you can extract, but it鈥檚 also terribly descriptive. It grabs you. And there鈥檚 a degree of humor too, which is important. He puts you right there alongside the people he was writing about.鈥�
Jeremy Wikeley, the foundation's project officer, says future serializations will be announced later in the year.
Numerous works, old and new, have been serialized on Substack. They range from 鈥淢oby-Dick鈥� and 鈥淔rankenstein鈥� to such contemporary releases as Anand Giridharadas鈥� 鈥淭he True American: Murder and Mystery in Texas.鈥� Substack newsletters such as 鈥淒racula Daily鈥� and 鈥淓dgar Allan Poe Daily鈥� are dedicated entirely to excerpts from a given book or author.
The Orwell Foundation, which also also oversees a Substack newsletter of Orwell news and commentary, recently announced the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness. The award is a partnership with The Centre for Homelessness Impact, and 鈥渨ill celebrate the art of evidence-led storytelling, accurate investigation and innovative policy reporting," according to the foundation.
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Online:
Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
