# Homage to Catalonia

> 1938 memoir by George Orwell

**Wikidata**: [Q514694](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q514694)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homage_to_Catalonia)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/homage-to-catalonia

## Summary
*Homage to Catalonia* is a 1938 memoir by British writer and journalist George Orwell, detailing his experiences fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Published by Harvill Secker in the United Kingdom, the work stands as a significant autobiographical account situated chronologically between Orwell's 1937 work *The Road to Wigan Pier* and his 1939 novel *Coming Up for Air*. As a literary work read for enjoyment and edification, it remains a primary source for understanding the political complexities of the conflict through the eyes of a participant.

## Key Facts
- **Publication Date:** April 25, 1938
- **Author:** George Orwell (1903–1950), a British writer and journalist holding citizenship in the United Kingdom and France.
- **Publisher:** Harvill Secker, a British publishing company founded in 1936 with headquarters in London, United Kingdom.
- **Genre Classification:** Autobiography and literary work.
- **Country of Origin:** United Kingdom (an island country in north-west Europe, with legal inception dates of 1921 and 1927).
- **Preceding Work:** *The Road to Wigan Pier* (1937), an autobiographical work by the same author.
- **Succeeding Work:** *Coming Up for Air*, a novel by George Orwell.
- **Digital Footprint:** The entity holds a sitelink count of 39 across various language editions.
- **Wikidata Description:** Defined specifically as a "1938 memoir by George Orwell."

## FAQs
**What type of book is *Homage to Catalonia* and who wrote it?**
It is an autobiography written by George Orwell, a British journalist and novelist active in the early 20th century. The text functions as both a personal memoir and a broader literary work intended for reader enjoyment and edification.

**When was the book published and by which company?**
The memoir was released on April 25, 1938, by the British publishing house Harvill Secker. This publisher, established in 1936, is headquartered in the United Kingdom.

**How does this memoir fit into George Orwell's bibliography?**
*Homage to Catalonia* serves as a bridge in Orwell's career, following his 1937 non-fiction work *The Road to Wigan Pier* and preceding his 1939 novel *Coming Up for Air*. It represents a specific period of his life where he transitioned from social observation to direct political engagement.

**What is the geographical and political context of the author and publisher?**
Both the author and the publisher are rooted in the United Kingdom, an island nation in north-west Europe. Orwell held citizenship in the UK and France, while Harvill Secker operates as a British entity with its headquarters in London.

## Why It Matters
*Homage to Catalonia* is a critical historical document that provides a first-hand account of the Spanish Civil War, offering insights that differ from contemporary propaganda. Its significance lies in its role as an autobiographical testimony that exposes the internal political fractures within the Republican faction, a theme that deeply influenced Orwell's later political philosophy. As a literary work, it bridges the gap between journalism and fiction, establishing a narrative style that would define Orwell's subsequent fame. The book solves the problem of historical abstraction by grounding the conflict in the visceral reality of a soldier's experience, making it an essential text for understanding 20th-century political history. Furthermore, its publication by Harvill Secker in 1938 places it at a pivotal moment in British publishing history, just as the publisher was establishing its reputation.

## Notable For
- **Chronological Positioning:** It is the specific work that sits between the 1937 autobiography *The Road to Wigan Pier* and the 1939 novel *Coming Up for Air*.
- **Genre Definition:** It is classified strictly as an autobiography, a genre where the subject writes their own biography, distinguishing it from third-party biographies.
- **Publisher Heritage:** It was issued by Harvill Secker, a company with a specific inception date of 1936, linking it to a specific era of British publishing.
- **Authorial Scope:** It represents the output of George Orwell, a multi-faceted figure with occupations ranging from journalist to novelist, holding dual citizenship.
- **Digital Reach:** The work maintains a significant presence in digital knowledge bases, evidenced by a sitelink count of 39.
- **Historical Timing:** Published in 1938, it captures the immediate aftermath of the war's most intense phases, serving as a primary source for that specific year.

## Body

### Publication and Authorship
*Homage to Catalonia* was published on April 25, 1938, marking a definitive moment in the literary output of George Orwell. Orwell, born in 1903 and deceased in 1950, was a British writer and journalist whose career spanned various occupations including novelist, essayist, and critic. He held citizenship in both the United Kingdom and France, reflecting his international perspective. The book was released by Harvill Secker, a British publishing company that was founded in 1936. Harvill Secker is headquartered in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, an island country in north-west Europe. The legal definition of the United Kingdom as a distinct entity involves key dates such as December 6, 1921, and April 12, 1927, which frame the geopolitical context of the publisher's operations.

### Genre and Classification
The work is formally classified as an autobiography, a specific publication type where the biography is written by the subject themselves. This distinguishes it from standard biographies written by third parties. As a literary work, it is categorized under the broader class of written works intended for enjoyment or edification. The sitelink count for the "autobiography" category is notably high at 105, indicating the genre's broad scope, while the specific entity *Homage to Catalonia* holds a sitelink count of 39. The Wikidata description explicitly labels the work as a "1938 memoir by George Orwell," cementing its identity within the knowledge graph.

### Chronological Context and Related Works
The memoir occupies a specific slot in George Orwell's bibliography, acting as a pivot point between his other major works. It is preceded by *The Road to Wigan Pier*, an autobiographical work published in 1937 that shares the same author and genre classification. Following *Homage to Catalonia*, Orwell published *Coming Up for Air*, which is classified as a novel. Both the preceding and succeeding works share a sitelink count of 21, suggesting a comparable level of digital recognition and discussion. This sequence highlights Orwell's transition from social documentation to political memoir and finally to fiction.

### Digital Presence and Metadata
In the context of structured data, *Homage to Catalonia* is linked to 39 distinct sitelinks, reflecting its availability and discussion across various language editions of Wikipedia. The entity is associated with the title "Homage to Catalonia" in Wikipedia. The publication date is recorded with precision as +1938-04-25T00:00:00Z. The relationships between the author, the publisher, and the work are well-documented, with George Orwell linked to 209 sitelinks and Harvill Secker to 5, illustrating the relative prominence of the creator and the publisher compared to the specific work. The United Kingdom, as the country of origin and publisher location, is a highly connected entity with 388 sitelinks, underscoring the work's national significance.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. BBC Things
4. Goodreads