Long lost Histories

George Orwell’s Lodgings, Wigan

George Orwell and Wigan will forever be synonymous thanks to the publication of his 1937 book The Road to Wigan Pier. Whilst the book is now a classic, Orwell or rather Eric Blair, the author’s real name, has been criticised over time for his depictions of poverty and social injustice in Lancashire and Yorkshire in the 1930s.

There were mixed reviews amongst Wiganers themselves, on one hand it was an accurate representation of how some lived and worked. On the other hand, it completely overlooked many aspects of the town and its population. So vivid was the picture painted by Orwell, that those not familiar with Wigan, for example, may very well have expected to see the ‘frightful landscape of slag-heaps and belching chimneys’ many decades later.

https://ifthosewallscouldtalk.wordpress.com/2023/08/14/long-lost-histories-george-orwells-lodgings-wigan/