Eileen O'Shaughnessy, George Orwell's first wife, played a vital role in his career and convinced him to write Animal Farm. Anna Funder reveals O'Shaughnessy's hidden life and discusses how women have facilitated the success of their husbands from the shadows.

Susan Sontag and George Steiner's charismatic auras and intellectual force are explored. The hosts discuss Sontag's desire to be recognized as a fiction writer and the dynamics within a literary magazine. Laura Beers reviews Eileen O'Shaughnessy's sacrifices as George Orwell's wife. The challenges of her domestic labor and living conditions are discussed.