Orwell’s Rejection by T S Eliot

Orwell Trivia No.2

As a director of the renowned publishers Faber & Faber, T S Eliot was regarded as ‘a safe pair of hands’ when reviewing the work of new writers. In fact he had an impressive ‘talent spotting’ record, including W. H. Auden, Stephen Spender, and Ted Hughes, among others, It is surprising then, that despite this reputation, Eliot rejected George Orwell, twice.

Eliot rejected Down and Out in Paris and London, which is forgivable, considering the subject matter, and it being Orwell’s first book. However, in 1945 he also vetoed Animal Farm, for which it is easy to imagine Orwell harbouring a degree of resentment.

Orwell ‘got his own back’ by adversely criticising Eliot’s poetry, but the two maintained an agreeable personable relationship, and Eliot agreed to a request from Orwell that he contribute to Orwell’s wartime BBC broadcasts to India.

Aknnowledgement to Peter Stansky & William Abrahams (Orwell, the Transformation, Constable & Company Limited, 1979, London)