Orwell was commissioned to write this book by his publisher
Victor Gollancz, a campaigner for left- wing causes and the
founder of the Left Book Club. It comprises two journeys. The
first finds Orwell in investigative journalist mode, as he
embarks on a physical journey amongst industrial workers in
the economically depressed north of England, investigating and
describing the causes and symptoms of poverty. The second is a
journey of the mind, whic ...