Why I Write

In 'Why I Write', George Orwell reflects on his development as a writer, from his early childhood fascination with words and storytelling to his later political writings.

The essay outlines four primary motives for writing: sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose.

Orwell discusses how these motives influenced his own work, particularly after the Spanish Civil War, which solidified his commitment to writing against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism.