Writers admire George Orwell the most
25th January 2010
Current Penguin authors have rated George Orwell as their most respected writer.
When asked to name the most influential Penguin books to date - to celebrate the publisher's 75th anniversary - literary giants James Lovelock, Catherine O'Flynn and Paul Theroux all picked Orwell titles.
Among the 50 books selected, four were by the writer - Burmese Days, 1984, Animal Farm and Shooting an Elephant.
Last week, the Indian town of Motihari celebrated the 60th anniversary of Orwell's death.
The country's art and culture secretary Vivek Singh visited the town, where Orwell was born, during the celebrations.
A commemorative building, an exact replica of Orwell's family home in Shiplake, England, could be erected at Motihari and Singh said: 'We are in touch with the British Council and other agencies.
'Everything will be finalised after consultation with experts as well as those who are really concerned about [the] protection and development of the site.'