I mentioned the reaction I had had from an important official in the Ministry of Information with regard to Animal Farm. 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. Two had been publishing anti-Russian books for years, and the other had no noticeable political colour. Only one of these had any ideological motive. 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. 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. This material remains under copyright and is reproduced here with the kind assistance of the Orwell Estate. Ian Angus found the original manuscript in 1972. Proposed preface to Animal Farm, first published in the Times Literary Supplement on 15 September 1972 with an introduction by Sir Bernard Crick. Home / Orwell / Essays and other works / The Freedom of the Press The Freedom of the Press
0 kommentar(er)
