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'It could disappear for ever': Anger over sale of George Orwell archive

Businesses are selling off priceless documents piecemeal, after publisher gave the order to ‘get rid of’ them

George Orwell’s archives provide an invaluable insight into one of the most influential British writers of the 20th century, casting light on how he produced his most memorable books, his sensitivity to criticism, and his fears that legal threats could ruin his work. Now the treasure trove that is the extensive archive of correspondence and contracts amassed by Orwell’s original publisher, Victor Gollancz, could be scattered to the winds in what has been described as an act of “cultural vandalism”. Photograph: Jane Bown/The ObserverFor £35,000, Jonkers Rare Books, another prominent bookseller, is selling papers relating to The Road to Wigan Pier, Orwell’s classic study of industrial poverty in the north of England.

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