Wifedom - Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life By Anna Funder

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Duration

15 minutes
18 minutes

Genre

Drama
Biographical

Station

Radio 4

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	Book Of The Week: Ep 1, Suffolk,1936 And Sydney, 2017	20230814	Anna Funder's new book is a revelatory biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife. Here we discover a sharp, witty and fearless woman, who made an astonishing and remarkable contribution to her husband's literary work as well as his daily life. The reader is Fenella Woolgar. Anna Funder, the award-winning Australian writer, best known for Stasiland and All that I Am, has immersed herself in the scholarship on George Orwell to write Wifedom. Here Funder shines a light on Eileen, Orwell's extraordinary wife. Using newly discovered letters written by Eileen, Funder paints an intimate portrait of a forgotten woman, and one of the twentieth century's most significant literary marriages. She also illuminates the social and cultural values that kept Eileen in the shadows, and continue to shape how the world regards the unsung work of wives everywhere. The life of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife, is uncovered. Anna Funder's genre-bending biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife.
02	Book Of The Week: Episode 2, The Spanish Civil War	20230815	Anna Funder's revelatory biography of George Orwell's forgotten first wife continues. It's 1936 and one of the twentieth century's great writers is in Barcelona preparing to take up arms in the struggle against fascism in the Spanish Civil War. Meanwhile, there is an extraordinary revelation. Fenella Woolgar reads. The award-winning writer, Anna Funder, best known for Stasiland and All that I Am, has immersed herself in the scholarship on George Orwell to write Wifedom. Here Funder shines a light on Eileen, Orwell's extraordinary wife. Using newly discovered letters written by Eileen, Funder paints an intimate portrait of a forgotten woman, and one of the twentieth century's most significant literary marriages. She also illuminates the social and cultural values that kept Eileen in the shadows, and continue to shape how the world regards the unsung work of wives everywhere. In the biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife, civil war rages in Spain Anna Funder's genre-bending biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife.
03	Book Of The Week: Episode 3, Terror In Barcelona	20230816	In Anna Funder's biography of George Orwell's forgotten first wife, Eileen, it's 1937 and fear reigns in Spain. To escape conflict and division Eileen must confront the forces of terror that now dominate Barcelona's streets. Fenella Woolgar reads. The award-winning writer, Anna Funder, best known for Stasiland and All that I Am, has immersed herself in the scholarship on George Orwell to write Wifedom. Here Funder shines a light on Eileen, Orwell's extraordinary wife. Using newly discovered letters written by Eileen, Funder paints an intimate portrait of a forgotten woman, and one of the twentieth century's most significant literary marriages. She also illuminates the social and cultural values that kept Eileen in the shadows, and continue to shape how the world regards the unsung work of wives everywhere. George Orwell's wife, Eileen, confronts terror in Spain as the Civil War plays out. Anna Funder's genre-bending biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife.
04	Book Of The Week: Episode 4, Doublethink And Other Women	20230817	In Anna Funder's intimate portrait of George Orwell's marriage to his first but forgotten wife, Eileen, it is now 1938. The pair travel to Morocco where George makes a request which leaves Eileen hollow and humiliated. Fenella Woolgar reads. The award-winning writer, Anna Funder, best known for Stasiland and All that I Am, has immersed herself in the scholarship on George Orwell to write Wifedom. Here Funder shines a light on Eileen, Orwell's extraordinary wife. Using newly discovered letters written by Eileen, Funder paints an intimate portrait of a forgotten woman, and one of the twentieth century's most significant literary marriages. She also illuminates the social and cultural values that kept Eileen in the shadows, and continue to shape how the world regards the unsung work of wives everywhere. George Orwell and his first wife, Eileen, are in Morocco, and he has a shocking request. Anna Funder's genre-bending biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife.
05	Book Of The Week: Episode 5, Animal Farm	20230818	Anna Funder's tender portrait of a literary marriage concludes. Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife, influences and shapes the novel Animal Farm. Lastly, she writes her husband a sequence of letters. Fenella Woolgar reads. The award-winning writer, Anna Funder, best known for Stasiland and All that I Am, has immersed herself in the scholarship on George Orwell to write Wifedom. Here Funder shines a light on Eileen, Orwell's extraordinary wife. Using newly discovered letters written by Eileen, Funder paints an intimate portrait of a forgotten woman, and one of the twentieth century's most significant literary marriages. She also illuminates the social and cultural values that kept Eileen in the shadows, and continue to shape how the world regards the unsung work of wives everywhere. Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife, influences and shapes his best known work. Anna Funder's genre-bending biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	Book Of The Week: Ep 1, Suffolk,1936 And Sydney, 2017	20230814	Anna Funder's new book is a revelatory biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife. Here we discover a sharp, witty and fearless woman, who made an astonishing and remarkable contribution to her husband's literary work as well as his daily life. The reader is Fenella Woolgar. Anna Funder, the award-winning Australian writer, best known for Stasiland and All that I Am, has immersed herself in the scholarship on George Orwell to write Wifedom. Here Funder shines a light on Eileen, Orwell's extraordinary wife. Using newly discovered letters written by Eileen, Funder paints an intimate portrait of a forgotten woman, and one of the twentieth century's most significant literary marriages. She also illuminates the social and cultural values that kept Eileen in the shadows, and continue to shape how the world regards the unsung work of wives everywhere. The life of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife, is uncovered. Anna Funder's genre-bending biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife.
02	Book Of The Week: Episode 2, The Spanish Civil War	20230815	Anna Funder's revelatory biography of George Orwell's forgotten first wife continues. It's 1936 and one of the twentieth century's great writers is in Barcelona preparing to take up arms in the struggle against fascism in the Spanish Civil War. Meanwhile, there is an extraordinary revelation. Fenella Woolgar reads. The award-winning writer, Anna Funder, best known for Stasiland and All that I Am, has immersed herself in the scholarship on George Orwell to write Wifedom. Here Funder shines a light on Eileen, Orwell's extraordinary wife. Using newly discovered letters written by Eileen, Funder paints an intimate portrait of a forgotten woman, and one of the twentieth century's most significant literary marriages. She also illuminates the social and cultural values that kept Eileen in the shadows, and continue to shape how the world regards the unsung work of wives everywhere. In the biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife, civil war rages in Spain Anna Funder's genre-bending biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife.
03	Book Of The Week: Episode 3, Terror In Barcelona	20230816	In Anna Funder's biography of George Orwell's forgotten first wife, Eileen, it's 1937 and fear reigns in Spain. To escape conflict and division Eileen must confront the forces of terror that now dominate Barcelona's streets. Fenella Woolgar reads. The award-winning writer, Anna Funder, best known for Stasiland and All that I Am, has immersed herself in the scholarship on George Orwell to write Wifedom. Here Funder shines a light on Eileen, Orwell's extraordinary wife. Using newly discovered letters written by Eileen, Funder paints an intimate portrait of a forgotten woman, and one of the twentieth century's most significant literary marriages. She also illuminates the social and cultural values that kept Eileen in the shadows, and continue to shape how the world regards the unsung work of wives everywhere. George Orwell's wife, Eileen, confronts terror in Spain as the Civil War plays out. Anna Funder's genre-bending biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife.
04	Book Of The Week: Episode 4, Doublethink And Other Women	20230817	In Anna Funder's intimate portrait of George Orwell's marriage to his first but forgotten wife, Eileen, it is now 1938. The pair travel to Morocco where George makes a request which leaves Eileen hollow and humiliated. Fenella Woolgar reads. The award-winning writer, Anna Funder, best known for Stasiland and All that I Am, has immersed herself in the scholarship on George Orwell to write Wifedom. Here Funder shines a light on Eileen, Orwell's extraordinary wife. Using newly discovered letters written by Eileen, Funder paints an intimate portrait of a forgotten woman, and one of the twentieth century's most significant literary marriages. She also illuminates the social and cultural values that kept Eileen in the shadows, and continue to shape how the world regards the unsung work of wives everywhere. George Orwell and his first wife, Eileen, are in Morocco, and he has a shocking request. Anna Funder's genre-bending biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife.
05	Book Of The Week: Episode 5, Animal Farm	20230818	Anna Funder's tender portrait of a literary marriage concludes. Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife, influences and shapes the novel Animal Farm. Lastly, she writes her husband a sequence of letters. Fenella Woolgar reads. The award-winning writer, Anna Funder, best known for Stasiland and All that I Am, has immersed herself in the scholarship on George Orwell to write Wifedom. Here Funder shines a light on Eileen, Orwell's extraordinary wife. Using newly discovered letters written by Eileen, Funder paints an intimate portrait of a forgotten woman, and one of the twentieth century's most significant literary marriages. She also illuminates the social and cultural values that kept Eileen in the shadows, and continue to shape how the world regards the unsung work of wives everywhere. Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife, influences and shapes his best known work. Anna Funder's genre-bending biography of Eileen, George Orwell's forgotten first wife.