George Orwell’s forgotten wife
History Extra podcast
11/15/23
•28m
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George Orwell – the author of classics like 1984 – is a household name. But have you heard of his first wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy, who convinced her husband to write the political fable which evolved into Animal Farm? Despite being vital in Orwell’s career, she has been omitted from the historical narrative by both her husband and his biographers since. Speaking to Lauren Good, Anna Funder reveals O’Shaughnessy’s hidden life – and considers how women through the past have facilitated the success of their husbands from the shadows.
(Ad) Anna Funder is the author of Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life (Viking, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wifedom-Mrs-Orwells-Invisible-Life/dp/0241482720/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Previous Episode
Magic books: a global history
November 13, 2023
•26m
What are the earliest forms of written magic? How do the stories of magic and religion intersect? And how will these stories’ continued presence in popular culture influence events yet to come? Professor Owen Davies takes Lauren Good on a journey through the twisting history of the Grimoire, from the use of papyrus to the effects of ‘WitchTok’.
(Ad) Owen Davies is the author of Art of the Grimoire: An Illustrated History of Magic Books and Spells (Yale University Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Grimoire-Illustrated-History-Spells/dp/0300272014/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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