Anna Funder: how George Orwell wrote his wife out of his story

All That I Am and Stasiland author Anna Funder's new book Wifedom rewrites the life of her literary hero George Orwell to put a main character back in the story. Blending forensic research, fiction, life writing and criticism, Funder reveals the importance of his wife Eileen O'Shaughnessy. Eileen's financial and practical support allowed him to write, and her own literary talent shaped his work, including Animal Farm. Written over six years, the idea for Wifedom came after the discovery of six letters in 2015 from O'Shaughnessy to a friend, their contents contrary to all the biographies written on Orwell.