GO Eton Poem

ORWELL TODAY ETON POEM GENUINE

To Orwell Today,
re: Richard enquires about a letter signed by Orwell that a reader wants to sell

Jackie,

Many thanks. I was also interested in the Orwell Poem from Eton that you featured on the site. What has happened to that - has it been verified?

Best regards,
Richard Young

Greetings Richard,

I don't know what happened to Orwell's Eton poem after it was published -- for the first time ever -- right here on ORWELL TODAY. See ORWELL ETON POEM DISCOVERED

That was seven months ago in May 2010, during which time I also published the class photos of Orwell and his fellow King's Scholars sitting on the chapel steps for every year Orwell was there. See WHO CAN SPOT ORWELL AT ETON?

As far as verification of the poem is concerned, I don't think there's any doubt about its authenticity, it having been discovered by the grandson of Orwell's main teacher at Eton. And also, in explaining the poem, I showed similarities in the handwriting and signatures of both the 'unknown' and 'known' Orwell.

Receiving your email reminded me that I hadn't shared the other document found in Master Crace's papers that his grandson John Johnston sent, ie the COLLEGE LIST with the grades received by Orwell and the other King's Scholars - which I've now gotten 'round to posting. See ORWELL'S ETON REPORT CARD

All the best,
Jackie Jura

To Orwell Today,

Jackie,

Many thanks for that. When I came across the poem recently on your site I provided the link to Peter Davison, who edited the collected works of Orwell and is the leading authority on him, and he came to a similar conclusion that the poem was probably genuine - something indeed strengthened by the provenance.

Thanks for sharing the other related materials.

Best regards,
Richard Young

Greetings again Richard,

Yes, the poem is definitely genuine - as genuine as Orwell himself - and you don't get any more genuine than that.

Thank you kindly for passing the ORWELL ETON POEM DISCOVERED link on to Peter Davison - the ultimate in Orwell scholars. I own a copy of Davison's masterpiece GEORGE ORWELL, NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR, THE FACSIMILIE wherein he reproduces ORWELL'S MANUSCRIPT OF 1984:

Manuscript 1984

Please pass on my best wishes to Peter Davison if forwarding him the latest discovery - ORWELL'S ETON REPORT CARD.

All the best,
Jackie Jura

PS - I almost forgot -- I also own Peter Davison's book THE LOST ORWELL that came out in 2006:

LostOrwellCover

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

email: orwelltoday@gmail.com
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