EileenBookCover

DID WIFE EILEEN MAKE ORWELL?

To Orwell Today,

Dear Jackie,

I discovered your website seven years ago, when I first started my biography of Eileen O'Shaughnessy, Orwell's extraordinary first wife. As you of course know, a biography of her had never been written before. I'm sure you'll be very interested to know that my book is now about to be published by Unbound press, in London, with the title Eileen: The Making of Orwell.

You can go to their interesting website presentation at Eileen: The Making of Orwell to find a description of the book and watch a short video with some of the photos I've collected. I'm copying below how it's being promoted in other places:

EILEEN: THE MAKING OF ORWELL is the never-before-told story of the woman who recognized Orwell's genius before almost anyone else had. Eileen's whimsical sense of humour, her ability to match Orwell intellectually, and her absolute devotion to helping him develop his talent and promote his career helped shape one of the 20th century's greatest writers. This is the first book on this extraordinary woman who has been until now unjustly overlooked. It examines the Blairs' nine-year marriage, the partnership that produced some of the greatest works in English literature. The year before she met Orwell, Eileen had published a futuristic poem called "End of the Century, 1984". Later, George would name his greatest work, 1984, in homage to the memory of Eileen. EILEEN: THE MAKING OF ORWELL is a vivid picture of bohemianism, poverty, political engagement, and sexual freedom in the 30s and 40s, with an undertow of sadness. This touching story offers a completely new perspective on Orwell himself.

I hope you will mention this book on your website. And perhaps you could suggest that people go to the Unbound website link above to order copies ahead of time. That would get the book into bookstores more quickly. I also hope you would consider ordering a copy ahead of time yourself. And please do tell anyone else about my book who might be interested. You will also notice that I've discovered many beliefs about the Orwell story that should be corrected. The family members I've come to know quite well are all thrilled by my discoveries.

I read that you were born in Canada. I'm a Canadian myself, and I've just moved to Kingston, Ontario, after living for many years in New York City.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Best wishes,
Sylvia Topp, Nov 17, 2017

Greetings Sylvia,

Thank you for contacting me with news about your newly published book about Orwell's wife Eileen -- and yes, I will order a copy in hardcover when it's available in Canada.

I went to your publisher's website and read the excerpt of Chapter 5 -- A WHIRLWIND COURTSHIP and could totally relate to your description of Eileen and friend climbing up the hill to the flat where Orwell was living. I and a friend climbed that hill on my HOMAGE TO ORWELL in 2003, as you no doubt read. See ORWELL'S HAMPSTEAD FLAT.

There are many articles on my website about Eileen and her beloved brother Dr Laurence O'Shaughnessy whose death at the beginning of WWII devastated her. Laurence had played a huge role in Eileen's and George's life and his loss not only affected them, but had impact even on all the people he was helping in the fight against tuberculosis and other heart-lung conditions.

I put your email and my response in the Readers' Email section of the website to share with other readers. If you send me a scan of the cover of the book I'll add it at as a header at the top of our email exchange, and post it as an article on the Home Page.

Congratulations on becoming a published author -- and of such an interesting subject. I look forward to reading EILEEN: THE MAKING OF ORWELL.

All the best,
Jackie Jura, Nov 18, 2017

To Orwell Today,

Hi Jackie. I wonder whether you've had time yet to think of posting more about my biography of Orwell's wife on your website. It has now passed the 50% funding mark, which is great news. But I still need quite a few more Supporters before it gets to the magic number, and on its way to bookstores. If you go to the UNBOUND link you will see that some interesting updates have been added, and more are on the way.

I'd appreciate it so much if you would share this information with others. I've just now arranged it so that Canadians can get the shipping cost reduced in half by typing the word "Canada" where it asks for a Promotional Code.

Thanks so much for any help you can give me!
Sylvia, Jan 28, 2018

To Orwell Today,

GOOD NEWS!! I'm so happy to be able to report that EILEEN: THE MAKING OF ORWELL, my biography of Orwell's wife, is now well over 50% funded. This means that I just need a few more people to order copies in advance to reach the 100% mark, and send the book on its way to bookstores worldwide. This is really great news!!

To those of you who have already ordered a copy, thanks so much! Your support is really needed and appreciated. And to those of you who haven't ordered a book yet, here's the link again: UNBOUND. This is a great time to get involved, since the sooner you do decide to order a copy, the faster the book will be published, and on its way to you. Please also share the information with friends and on social media.

Eileen has waited over 70 years to be recognized for her crucial importance to Orwell's creative output. She shouldn't have to wait any longer.

Thanks!!
Sylvia, Feb 3, 2018

To Orwell Today,

Hello Jackie,

The book is over 80% funded now, so a few more of your contacts ordering advance copies would get it on its way!!

Did you see the reviews by Gordon Bowker, David Taylor and Peter Stansky on the Unbound website?

And Richard Blair and Quentin Kopp have written articles, which will be posted on the website soon.

I'll be in London at the end of the month, doing some final research.

Cheers,
Sylvia, April 8, 2018

Greetings Sylvia,

It's great your EILEEN: THE MAKING OF ORWELL is doing so well and being reviewed by Orwell scholars -- all of whose books I own.

InsideOrwellBowker Gordon Bowker, who wrote his biography, INSIDE GEORGE ORWELL, in 2003, says: Sylvia Topp has written a most interesting biography of George Orwell's first wife, Eileen. Her researches have turned up some remarkable material from various semi obscure sources. And she has made especially good use of the testimonies of Eileen's friends and her BBC records. Ms Topp has written a book in a plain crystalline prose particularly suitable to her subject, and has not only brought Eileen in from the shadows, but has given her full credit for her contributions to Orwell's late great novels. An excellent read, especially rewarding for Orwell scholars.

OrwellLifeTaylor D.J. Taylor, who wrote ORWELL: THE LIFE, in 2003, says: Eileen O'Shaughnessy, George Orwell's first wife, has always been something of a black hole at the centre of Orwell Studies. Sylvia Topp's painstaking researches have breathed life into this enigmatic figure, and all Orwell fans owe her a huge debt of gratitude.

OrwellTransformation Peter Stansky, who co-authored ORWELL: THE TRANSFORMATION, in 1980, says: One cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of Eileen O'Shaughnessy in the life of Eric Blair, and hence of George Orwell. Her influence upon him was profound, in his life and his work. It's now splendid to have her biography.

All the best,
Jackie Jura, April 9, 2018

To Orwell Today,

Thanks for your support, Jackie! Did you post this on your site? My book's at 83% now, but it could use a big boost to get it over the top.

I'm about to post a new update with Unbound, with some thoughts from Richard Blair, Quentin Kopp, and Catherine Moncure, three family members who are still around. I hope you'll forward those when you see them on Unbound.

Thanks for helping with spreading the word!
Sylvia, April 12, 2018

Hello Sylvia,

Yes, I did post your update on sales and the link to Unbound with the reviews by Bowker, DJ Taylor and Stansky -- with pics of their book covers.

The thing he was about to do was open a diary.
...In small clumsy letters he wrote:
April 4, 1984 - 2018
DidYouReadBook
Dear World: Did you not read my book?
1.Winston's Diary
& WINSTON DIARY BEGAN APRIL 4, 1984
& WINSTON'S DIARY IS ORWELL'S BOOK
EileenBookCover
DID WIFE EILEEN MAKE ORWELL?
& ORWELL'S WIFE NAMED 1984

I put it on the Home Page of Orwell Today.

All the best,
Jackie, April 12, 2018

Greetings Sylvia,

It was two years ago when you contacted me to say you had been reading my ORWELL TODAY website for seven years and to ask me to promote your yet-unpublished book -- Eileen: The Making of Orwell -- to readers and to order a copy myself.

Recently I see in the news that your book has been published and I am wondering if you cited my website in your sources ? I assume you did and as a favour would you please scan the pertinent page and email it to me... at which point I would share it with readers and in so doing would update readers that your book is now available. And please provide info on where it can be purchased... is it in bookstores here in Canada?

Thank you,
Jackie Jura, March 31, 2020

To Orwell Today,

Dear Jackie,

I did enjoy looking through your website as I was researching my book, but I didn't ever use any information I found there, I'm sorry to say. I started working on this biography in the spring of 2011, and I had visited the cottage and Wallington a few times through the years. Also, I had already interviewed the Orwell biographers and met all the Orwell family members, joined the Orwell Society, and searched through numerous archives in many locations. By the time I contacted you, my book was already written and just waiting to be published. So I'm sorry to say I did not actually find anything new on your website at that time, although I was pleased to know it existed.

Eileen launched in the UK on March 5, and I was in the middle of a book tour over there when I suddenly had to rush back to Canada because of the virus. The launch date is May 5 in the US and May 15 in Canada, but I really have no idea at this point whether that will be postponed.

I'm quite disappointed about the timing for my book, and I'm hoping my book tour will be resumed at some point. Meanwhile, I'm spending most of my time at home, with occasional walks in the sun. Hope you are doing well.

Best wishes,
Sylvia, April 2, 2020


OrwellBooks2023 watch GEORGE TALKS, February 18, 2024, You Tube
Starting at the 1-hour, 21-minute mark Sylvia Topp, author of EILEEN: THE MAKING OF GEORGE ORWELL says: "...So everyone's worried about whether Orwell's reputation will be hurt by the Funder book but we also have to think about Eileen and how much damage she did to Eileen and that will be harder to recover because there's not too much back to refer to. But I've always thought, when I looked at the cover of the book, it says the "invisible" wife and I think what she proceeded to do was make Eileen, the real Eileen, even more invisible. She just sort of wiped her out..." [Quinton Kopp interjects]: Well that's exactly what I said to her when I first got the book and I wrote directly to her with some initial thoughts that she's diminished Eileen and not enhanced her reputation at all.... "In the real text she often praises her -- you know it's an exceptionally well-written book -- and she does put in alot of praise for Eileen that I believe she's copying from my book to yeah, in the end where she puts in dialogue, the fake dialogue. That's where she really tries, seems to want to destroy Eileen's strength. I also just want to add that I'm perhaps the only one who really believed that they did have an open marriage. I really do believe that Eileen had a relationship with Quinton's father [Georges Kopp] [here in the video Quinton Kopp squirms with delight]. And I've seen hints here and there, and wonder if Peter has heard of the other two relationships she had while they were married. And haven't people tried to research those and didn't find any proof? But otherwise she seems very casual about his affairs -- she's not devastated in any way...."

ME-TOO JULIA SAY ORWELL MISOGYNIST

BOOK WIFEDOM ORWELLIAN PROLEFEED

DID WIFE EILEEN MAKE ORWELL?

WINSTON DIARY BEGAN APRIL 4TH

ORWELL'S FIRST WIFE'S GRAVE

ORWELL'S WIFE EILEEN'S GRAVE

END OF CENTURY 1984 EILEEN POEM

ORWELL'S WIFE NAMED 1984

ORWELL'S LIFE IN WALLINGTON

VISITING ORWELL'S WEDDING CHURCH (...And there on the right, in all its glory, is St. Mary's Church where on Tuesday, June 9th, 1936, Eric Arthur Blair married Eileen Maud O'Shaughnessy. He was 33 and she was 30.... Eileen died nine years later on March 29th, 1945, and was buried on April 3, 1945. No doubt, in cryptic remembrance of her, Orwell had Winston Smith, the hero of "1984", begin his diary on April 4th....)

ORWELL'S 77 PARLIAMENT HILL

HOMAGE TO ORWELL and PILGRIMAGE TO ORWELL

WHY ORWELL WROTE

Jackie Jura
~ an independent researcher monitoring local, national and international events ~

email: orwelltoday@gmail.com
HOME PAGE
website: www.orwelltoday.com