Jono gives us a glimpse into a book he’s reading at the moment, which is about the influence of Burma’s police state politics on George Orwell.

I’ve read Burmese Days by Orwell, which is a fictional novel based on his experiences as a colonial policeman in Burma. I loved it, but I don’t remember seeing any hint of the Big Brother themes of 1984. Despite it not being obvious in Burmese Days, it’s fascinating to consider that Orwell was as influenced as much (or more) by Burma as by Stalinist Russia.

This is very topical and is one of those interesting moments when part of ‘our world’ (Orwellian language and themes) interfaces with another world (pain and suffering under an evil government in Burma).