Letters from Barcelona (Winter)

By the time of the first extant letter written after the Christmas and New Year period, penned on 4 January 1937, the POUM had been removed from the Catalan government coalition, reflecting the uncertain fate of revolutionary aspirations in the winter of 1936–1937. Lois’ and Charles’ involvement with POUM politics, however, deepened, with Charles taking over the English-language propaganda department of the POUM. In February 1937 Eileen O’Shaughnessy, George Orwell’s wife, began to work as Charles’ secretary, as her writer-husband fought at the front.