About the Book:

A seminal dystopian novel, which shaped modern understanding of a world in crisis and became a powerful symbol of resistance. Nineteen Eighty-Four is the only substantial Orwell manuscript that survives. In October 2022, it took its place as part of our collection of treasured manuscripts. A deluxe reproduction of the extraordinary original manuscript of Nineteen Eighty-Four, conserved at the John Hay Library (Brown University, Providence) since 1992.

In this edition, readers can dive deep into the 197 remaining pages of Nineteen Eighty-Four (of which 183 are handwritten and 14 are typewritten), discovering the author’s unedited passages. It is the only substantial Orwell manuscript that survives and represents about 44% of the published text. The document reflects Orwell’s creative process in the context of World War II and its aftermath, as well as five years of health struggles, the loss of his wife Eileen, and his doubts while writing.

An illuminating foreword written by Orwell biographer D.J. Taylor accompanies the manuscript.

About the Author:

Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950), better known by his pen-name, George Orwell, was born in India, where his father worked for the Civil Service. An author and journalist, Orwell was one of the most prominent and influential figures in twentieth-century literature. His unique political allegory Animal Farm was published in 1945, and it was this novel, together with the dystopia of Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), which brought him world-wide fame. His novels and non-fiction include Burmese Days, Down and Out in Paris and London, The Road to Wigan Pier and Homage to Catalonia.

About the Publisher:

SP Books – standing for Éditions des Saints Pères – was founded in Saint-Germain-des-Prés by young publishers Jessica Nelson & Nicolas Tretiakow with the aim of creating a unique collection of great manuscripts. SP Books was born from our passion for outstanding stories, beautiful books, and above all, the original manuscripts of great works. As our lives grow increasingly digital, SP Books are committed to creating a reading experience that is at once revelatory, intimate and aesthetic: to restore the magic of handwriting to great works, that can be revisited and kept forever.

Details:

25.5 x 35.5 cm, 304 pages
Oxford blue, in slipcase 
Limited numbered edition,1,000 copies

For more information, email books@heywoodhill.com.