Statue of George Orwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George Orwell |
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| Artist | Martin Jennings |
| Year | 2017 |
| Type | Bronze |
| Location | London, W1 United Kingdom |
| 51°31′08″N 0°08′34″W / 51.5188°N 0.1429°W | |
A statue of the famous British writer George Orwell was put up in London on November 7, 2017. This statue was created by sculptor Martin Jennings. You can find it outside Broadcasting House, which is the main building for the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).
Behind the statue, there's a special message from Orwell himself. It says: "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." This quote comes from a part of his famous book Animal Farm that wasn't used. Robert Seatter, who leads BBC history, said that Orwell's well-known "Room 101" from his book Nineteen Eighty-Four was supposedly based on a room he worked in at the BBC. Now, the statue stands outside, reminding everyone how important good journalism is for keeping powerful people honest.
Making the Statue
The idea for the statue came from a special group set up by Ben Whitaker, who was a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is a person elected to represent people in the government. All the money for the statue came from private donations, meaning people gave their own money.
Some well-known people who helped fund the statue include writers like Ian McEwan and Ken Follett, and famous actors like Rowan Atkinson.
Early Challenges
Back in 2012, the BBC first said no to having the statue. Reports suggested that the person in charge of the BBC at the time, Mark Thompson, didn't want it. However, the project was started again when Tony Hall became the new Director-General of the BBC. Ben Whitaker passed away in 2014, but his wife, Janet Whitaker, continued to work on the project.
Choosing the Sculptor
Martin Jennings was chosen to create the statue. Ben Whitaker really liked other statues Jennings had made, such as the one of poet John Betjeman at St Pancras station and another of writer Philip Larkin in Hull.
Jennings said that George Orwell was a great person to sculpt. He described Orwell as "very tall and thin, always with a cigarette in his hand, and leaning forward to make a point." He also mentioned that Orwell wore clothes that looked like they belonged in a garden shed!
