IN TRANSLATION
During Orwell’s lifetime his books were translated into several languages. There was great interest in Eastern European to translate Animal Farm and later, after his death this accelerated with the growing fame of Nineteen Eighty-Four. My collection includes French, German, Spanish, Catalan, Turkish, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Argentinian, Japanese, Czech, Chinese, Hebrew, Dutch, Esperanto, Swedish and Danish translations, many of them first editions.
Although they are expensive, and hard to find, my collection now includes illegally printed Orwell from Eastern Europe. This includes a samizdat edition of Animal Farm in Hungarian too. If you have any of these illegal, clandestinely printed books, please make contact. I also have a Polish tamizdat.
“Samizdat: I write it myself, edit it myself, censor it myself, publish it myself, distribute it myself, and spend jail time for it myself.” Vladimir Bukovsky
FRENCH
La Vache Enragée, Paris: Gallimard 25 May, 1935 (First French edition of Down and Out in Paris and London translated from English by Gwen Gilbert and René-Noël Raimbault – 5500 copies printed)
La Vache Enragée, Gallimard, 1957. 289pp. (La Vache Enragée literally means The Raging Cow and this French edition of Down and Out in Paris and London was translated from English by Gwen Gilbert and René-Noël Raimbault)
Dans la dèche à Paris et à Londres, Editions Champ Libre, 1982. 278pp. (Second French edition of Down and Out in Paris and London translated from English by Michel Pétris)
George Orwell: Correspondance avec son traducteur René-Noël Raimbault 1934-1935, édition bilingue français-anglais, Editions Jean-Michel Place, 2006. 141pp.
Tragédie Birmane, Nagel, August 1946. 342pp. (First French edition of Burmese Days translated from English by Guillot de Saix – 7800 copies printed)
Et Vive L’Aspidistra!, Gallimard, 1960, 332pp. (First French edition of Keep the Aspidistra Flying translated from English by Yvonne Davet – No. 31 of 35 numbered copies)
Et Vive L’Aspidistra!, Paris: Editions Champ Libre, 1982. 340pp (Second French edition of Keep the Aspidistra Flying translated from English by Yvonne Davet)
La Quai de Wigan, Paris: Editions Champ Libre, 1982. 260pp. (First French edition of The Road to Wigan Pier translated from English by Michel Pétris)
La Catalogne Libre, Gallimard, 1955. 302pp. (First French edition of Homage to Catalonia translated from English by Yvonne Davet – No. 52 of 60 numbered copies)
Hommage a La Catalogne, Paris: Editions Champ Libre, 1982. 296pp (Second French edition of Homage to Catalonia translated from English by Yvonne Davet)
Journal D’Un Anglais Moyen, Amiot Dumont, 1952. 240pp. (First French edition of Coming Up For Air translated from English by Claude de Leschaux and serialised in Le Monde during August-September 1952)
Essais Choisis, Gallimard, 1960, 304pp (First French trade edition of selected essays translated with a preface by Philip Thody)
Les Animaux Partout!, Odile Pathé, 15 October 1947, (First French edition of Animal Farm translated by Sophie Dévil, preface by Jean Texcier – 5000 copies printed)
Les Animaux Partout!, Odile Pathé, 15 October 1947, (First French edition of Animal Farm translated by Sophie Dévil, preface by Jean Texcier – 5000 copies printed) Contemporary binding in full green fabric, guards and contreplats of handmade paper, preserved covers, marbled.
Les Animaux Partout!, Odile Pathé, 1948, (French magazine format edition by Réalités Littéraires Animal Farm translated by Sophie Dévil)
La République des Animaux, Gallimard, 12 June 1964. 160pp. June (Another French edition of Animal Farm with the translator not named)
La République des Animaux, Gallimard, 12 June 1964. 160pp. June (No.19 of 31 copies printed on pure thread vellum in original glassine wrapper)
La Ferme des Animaux, Ivrea, Champ Libre, June 1981. 113pp. (French edition translated from English by Jean Queval)
1984, Gallimard, Paris, 1950. 374pp. (First French trade edition of 1984 translated from English by Amélie Audiberti)
Dunn, Avril, George Orwell, mon frère, L’Échoppe, 2018. 35pp (Translated into French by Patrice Cotensin; illustrated by Ernest Pignon-Ernest)
NORMAN
La Ferme és baêtes, Cotentin: Oû Pyid des Phares, 2022. 221pp. (this translation of Animal Farm by Alain Bavay, Joël Hallet, Jean-Pierre Montreuil and Guy Pichon is part of a project to publish books in the Norman language)
GERMAN
Die Engländer – Mit 10 Abbildungen, Schlösser Verlag, 1948. 58pp. (German First Edition of The English People translated from English by Arno Dohm – 5000 copies printed)
Mein Katalonien, München, Rütten & Loening, 1964 (German First Edition of Homage to Catalonia, translated by Wolfgang Rieger).
Neunzehnhundertvierundachtzig, , 1950. 356 pp. Translated by Kurt Wagenseil, design by Lothar Schmidt).
Neunzehnhundertvierundachtzig, Zürich: Alfons Bürger Verlag, 1950. 231 pp. Translated by Kurt Wagenseil, cover art, Kurt Hilscher
Neunzehnhundertvierundachtzig, Zürich: Diana Verlag, 1964. 288 pp. Translated by Kurt Wagenseil, with postscript by Arthur Koestler
1984, Frankfurt: Büchergilde Gutenberg, 1984. 356 pp. Translated by Kurt Wagenseil
DANISH
Det Engelske Folk, Steen Hasselbalchs Forlag, 1948. 72pp. (First Danish edition of The English People translated from English by Paul Monrad – 2350 copies printed)
Kammerat Napoleon, Vilhelm Priors Forlag, 1947 (First Danish edition of Animal Farm translated from English by Ole Brandstrup and illustrations from Sys Gaugin)
UKRAINIAN
Kolgosp Tvarin, Munich: Vidavnitstvi Prometei, 1947. (First Ukrainian translation of Animal Farm by Ivan Chernyatinskii with new preface by George Orwell and it has quite a publication history)
TURKISH
1984, Işık Kitapları, 1958 (First Turkish edition, translated by Vahit Turhan; S Tonguç)
Katalonya’ya selam, Alan Yayinccilik, 1985. 288pp. (First Turkish edition of Homage to Catalonia, translated by Jülide Ergüder)
CZECH
Trosečníkem v Paříži a Londýně, Central Workers Publishers in Prague, 1935, translated by Karl Krauss and cover by Jaroslav Šváb (thanks to Chris Angel for this insanely rare Czech translation of Down and Out in Paris and London)
CHINESE
1984, SDX Joint Publishing Company, (Chinese translation)
Animal Farm, Beijing October literature and Arts Press, 2010 (Chinese translation)
Animal Farm, Tai WAN Dong Fang/ Tsai Fong Books, 1993 (Chinese translation)
The Lion and The Unicorn: Socialism and the English Genius, Beijing Yanshan Press, 2015 (Chinese translation – first edition)
JAPANESE
1984年 (1984-nen), Hayakawa Publishing/Tsai Fong Books, 2009. 511pp. (Translated into Japanese by Takahashi Kazuhisa)
HUNGARIAN
Tragédia Burmában, Budapest: Káldor György Könyvkiadóvállalat, 1948 (translated by Máthé Elek, this early Hungarian first edition is not a samizdat nor is it listed in Fenwick)
1984, Európa Könyvkiadó, 1989. 373pp. (First legal Hungarian publication of Nineteen Eighty-Four translated by Szíjgyártó László)
Állati Gazdaság, Budapest: AB Publisher House, 1988. 64pp. (This is a Hungarian samizdat edition of Animal Farm and the title translates as Animal Economy or maybe Animal Agriculture. It states 1984 on the cover but was published in 1988. It is staple bound in cerise illustrated card covers with uncredited original illustrations on most pages)
Állatfarm, Európa Könyvkiadó 1989 (First legal Hungarian publication of Animal Farm translated by Szíjgyártó László)
Állatfarm, Európa Könyvkiadó 1989 (First legal Hungarian publication of Animal Farm translated by Szíjgyártó László)
Hódolat Katalóniának, Budapest: AB Független Kiadó, 1986. 127pp. (First Hungarian mimeograph samizdat edition of Homage to Catalonia)
Esszék, Budapest: AB Független Kiadó, 1988. 183pp (Hungarian samizdat with an unknown translator and foreword by László Algol [pseudoynm of Gusztáv M. Hábermann])
ITALIAN
Fiorirà L’Aspidistra, Milano: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1966 (Italian first paperback of Keep the Aspidistra Flying)
SPANISH
1984, Barcelona: Destino, 1952. 312pp (First Spanish edition translated by Rafael Vázquez Zamora)
Cataluña 1937. Testimonio sobre la Revolucion Española, Buenos Aires, Editorial Proyección, 1963. 248pp. (A fine copy of the first Spanish edition of Homage to Catalonia translated by Noemi Rosenblatt with the cover by Ruben Prieto)
La Marca, Barcelona: Destino, 1955. 280pp. (First edition of Burmese Days in Spanish translated by Rafael Vázquez Zamora)
Sububir a Por Aire, Barcelona: Destino, 1955. 280pp. (First edition of Coming Up For Air in Spanish translated by de Ester Donato)
Venciste, Rosemary! (First edition of Keep the Aspidistra Flying in Spanish translated by José Domínguez)
Lucio, Andreaand De Miguel, Jordi, Homenaje a Cataluña (versión gráfica), Debate, 2019, 144pp. (signed by Richard Blair in Barcelona)
1984 (Ediciones Kraft), Buenos Aires: Guillermo Kraftt LTDA, 1954. pp. (An Argentinian edition of Nineteen Eighty-Four translated into Spanish by Arturo Bray)
CATALAN
Homenatge a Catalunya, Barcelona: Edicions Ariel, 1969. 218pp. (Fine first Catalan edition translated by Ramon Folch i Camarasa)
ESPERANTO
Mil naŭcent okdek kvar ĉe, Mondial, 2012, 288pp (Nineteen Eighty-Four translated into Esperanto by Donald Broadribb)
La besto-farmo, Munkeno: Eldontrepreno Lanterno, 1970. 95pp (Animal Farm translated into Esperanto by G. Tucker)
La besto-farmo, Munkeno: Eldontrepreno Lanterno, 1970. 108pp (Animal Farm translated into Esperanto by G. Tucker)
INDONESIAN
1984, Indonesia, 1984
RUSSIAN
Skotskii khutor, Frankfurt am Main: Posev, 1978 (4th Impression of Animal Farm in Russian)
Оруэлл, Джордж, “1984” и эссе разных лет. Вспоминая войну. Подавление литературы. Писатели и Левиафан, Прогресс, 1989. 384pp. (Russian language versions of Orwell’s essays)
POLISH
1984: Powieść, Pariz: Instytut Literacki, 1953. 254pp. (This tamizdat translated by Julius Mieroszewski is ofter considered the first Polish edition but that distinction is held by Jan Lechoń who also adapted the novel for radio in the same year, 1949)
Eseje, Warsaw: Oficyna WE, 1983. 48pp. Polish samizdat edition translated by Teresa Jelenska. Original xeroxed decorative staple-stitched wrappers. The essays are “The Prevention of Literature”; “The Lion and the Unicorn”; and “Raffles and Miss Blandish”)
SWEDISH
Nittonhundraåttiofyra, Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag, 1950 (3000 copies; translated by Nils Holmberg)
HEBREW
1984, Israel: Pales Publishing House, 1950 (third printing)
