The Blair/Orwell Essay & Forum and The Online Review
Published bi-monthly – 31 May – 30 July 2010
The Blair/Orwell Essays for 2010 were introduced by Professor Peter Davison. This is a particullar privilege because he is, after all, the ultimate scholar where George Orwell is concerned. It took him nearly 25 years to complete, with the help of Ian Angus, The Complete Works of George Orwell, the last of its 20 volumes published in 1998. Since then he has edited and published several more books on Orwell, including updates on both the Orwell Diaries and The Letters. Last year saw the publication of George Orwell: Diaries, which he edited and this Spring on the 14 April Harvill Seckers brought out another, and even more fascinating update edited by him, Orwell: A Life in Letters which includes new material recently made available and is being widely reviewed and approved.
Almost a century ago the major News film maker Pathe News were to be found filming all aspects of Britain’s daily life. Fast forward to 2010 and Pathe Film’s new archive have released some fascinating early footage online, with which our readers might enjoy looking for a needle in a haystack.
In four reels it is possible to see the boys of Eton College, sliding on an icy pond around 1919, playing the Wall Game in 1921(EB played Full Back), and watching the Eton v. Harrow matches for 1919 and 1921. The area to keep an eye on are the crowds watching the game because Eric was there with the Buddicoms both years and can (possibly) be seen with Jacintha in one and with her brother Prosper in the other.
There is also footage of the visit of 35 generals to Eton in 1919, making speeches on the steps of Eton College Chapel. This website is fairly sure that Eric Blair, who would become George Orwell, is to be discovered in all of these clips. Look out for a tall boy who slouches, hates wearing a hat, and is last to attend most things. However, there is also footage of the boys digging their allotments. Can you pick out a certain rangey figure there? We all know how he loved growing things.
This series of film footage takes one back to a long-gone era which throws out a curiously familiar feel. Having watched so many old films, seen so many first world war epics, there is about this footage an element of déjà vu. The delight of possibly picking out the figure of the boy who would one day be that Great Author which was his absolute ambition, generates a certain frisson and takes one a little closer to the man himself. ENJOY.
Our Online Review Section is devoted to reviewing new works concerning George Orwell, and also new publications by those who write primarily about Orwell. The object of the exercise is to allow the satisfaction of instant response from readers through the protected membership of The Forum.
The Online Review Section and the Forum are accessed from here and Peter Davison’s new book Orwell: a Life in Letters, published by Harvill Secker on the 14th April, will be reviewed here by Dominic Cavendish.
All the essays from 2008/2009 are available for study in the Essay Archive. The line-up of writers for 2010 is exploring new fields and discovering new contributing talent.
31 May – 30 July 2010 ESSAY by Steven Wadhams
Steve Wadhams’ entire professional life has been in broadcasting. After taking a course in the BBC training studio in 1967, he quickly graduated to the BBC Overseas Service. In 1974 he moved to Canada to join the CBC’s flagship Current Affairs programme As It Happens and then moving forward to be one of the founding producers of Sunday Morning which involved making documentaries across Canada and then globally.
After two years making the TV award winning documentary The Journal, Steve made a three-hour documentary on Mozart and, in 1984, a five hour radio biography on George Orwell which won a Canadian National Radio Award and led to his subsequent book Remembering Orwell, published by Penguin. In October 2005 he was given the Audio Luminary Award by the Chicago-based Third Coast International Audio Festival; the first non American to be so honoured – for ‘expanding the boundaries of audio story-telling’.
For many years Steve has taught ‘story-telling’ with CBC has lead workshops in various countries, including one for the BBC in 1999.
Essays by Sir Bernard Crick, Peter Davison, Gordon Bowker, Loraine Saunders, Douglas Kerr, DJ Taylor, Richard Blair, John Rodden, William Hunt, Peter Stansky and Ron Bateman may also be located for study in The Orwell Essay Archive.
Winners of The Orwell Prize for Authorship, Journalism, Media and Blog were announced on the 19th May 2010 and can be accessed from their website or email gavin.freeguard@mediastandardstrust.org
