George Orwell and Communist Poland
Krystyna Wieszczek
George Orwell and Communist Poland
Krystyna Wieszczek
George Orwell and Communist Poland is the first major account of George Orwell's Polish reception during WWII and the cold war. Offering a tri-partite approach to studying reception in conditions of state-imposed censorship - from emigre, official and clandestine perspectives - the volume reveals how Orwell, an emblematic censored writer, enjoyed a thriving reception in both communist Poland and abroad. It brings to light Orwell's overlooked relationships with Polish exiles who informed his work and saw in Orwell a writer but also a personal friend and political ally. They eagerly translated his works and sought multicultural promotion, also behind the Iron Curtain. The book further argues that Orwell experienced official reception too: smuggled into state-controlled culture in officially accepted ways, while communist censorship files portray his reception within the state apparatus. Finally, Orwell's works became underground presses' bestsellers, while diaries and letters show passionate clandestine responses already under Stalinism. The volume draws on sources in foreign languages and unseen material, including Orwell's 'lost' letters to the Polish translator of Animal Farm, Teresa Jelenska. The book significantly broadens our understanding of Orwell's life, work and legacy and intervenes in discussions on the politics of literary exchanges, English literature, comparative literature, translation, reception, censorship and East European studies.
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