Page "Down and Out in Paris and London" Paragraph 5

It was in the home of Mabel Fierz, who had, with her husband, a London businessman named Francis, been for a number of years a visitor to Southwold in the summer, and who was on friendly terms with the Blairs, that Orwell discarded the typescript.

Fierz at this point took it to a literary agent, Leonard Moore, who " recognised it as a ' natural ' for the new house of Gollancz.

" Victor Gollancz was prepared to publish the work, subject to the removal of bad language and some identifiable names, and offered an advance of £ 40.

The title improvised by Gollancz, Confessions of a Down and Outer bothered Orwell.

" Would The Confessions of a Dishwasher do as well?

" he asked Moore.

" I would rather answer to dishwasher than down & out.

" At the last minute, Gollancz shortened the title to Down and Out in Paris and London.

The author, after possibilites including " X ," " P. S.

Burton " ( an alias Orwell had used on tramping expeditions ), " Kenneth Miles " and " H. Lewis Allways " had been considered, was renamed " George Orwell.

" Orwell did not wish to publish under his own name Eric Blair, and Orwell was the name he used from then on for his main works — although many periodical articles were still published under the name Eric Blair.

Down and Out in Paris and London was published on 9 January 1933 and received favourable reviews from, among others, C. Day Lewis, WH Davies, Compton Mackenzie and JB Priestley.

It was subsequently published by Harper & Brothers in New York.

Sales were low, however, until December 1940, when Penguin Books printed 55, 000 copies for sale at sixpence.