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Who was Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name “George Orwell”?

On today’s episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we explore the life and work of an author who died at the age of 46 but whose writings — namely “Animal Farm” and “1984” — still help to shape our collective understanding of the freedoms of speech and conscience.

Joining us for the discussion is the author of Orwell’s authorized biography, Indiana State University professor Michael Shelden. Shelden’s biography of Orwell was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1992. A complete transcript of the podcast is available.

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Have questions or ideas for future shows? Email us at sotospeak@thefire.org.

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