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Letter from Orwell to Rayner Heppenstall

Barnhill

Isle of Jura

Argyllshire

5.9.46

Dear Rayner,

I’m sorry I didn’t write. I cannot get round to writing letters. Of course I was sorry you couldn’t come but perhaps you will next year. The journey really isn’t so formidable as it sounds on paper, in fact you can do it door to door in 24 hours if you want to. It’s only that one has to walk the last 5 miles, and maybe next year we shall have a vehicle that works. Also at any normal time food wouldn’t be much of a difficulty because one could lay in stocks. Bread rationing has hit us rather, but we get by on oatcakes and porridge. One has to catch and shoot a good deal of one’s food, but I rather like doing that. Again of course at normal times one could have hens and a cow, which one can’t now because of fodder. All we are able to keep this year are geese which practically don’t need feeding.

I’ll do a programme for you with pleasure, but I don’t want to tie myself down to anything until I get back to London, about October 12th, and definitely re-enter servitude. I hardly do any work here, because I really did need a rest and some fresh air. I am also starting another book. I have hardly done anything to it, but I want to get enough done before coming back to give me courage to go on while writing articles etc.

I don’t know much about Darwin’s later life. What about a defence of Pontius Pilate, or an imaginary conversation between P.P and, say, Lenin (one could hardly make it J.C). How is the C programme going? Is it really going to be nothing barred? I had a talk about it with George Barnes shortly before coming away, and he told me it was going to be completely uncensored but flinched visibly whenever I suggested anything. Are you in touch with anyone who is dealing with plays or featurised stories on this programme? Don’t forget I would like to do a featurised version of ‘Boule de Suif’.

Yours

EB/GO (not clear from squiggle!)