BooksGeorge Orwell’s Letter On Why He Wrote ‘1984’SuperstateThree years before writing '1984,' George Orwell penned a letter detailing the thesis of his great novel and warning of the rise of totalitarian police states.George OrwellUpdated Jan. 22, 2019 10:43AM ET / Published Aug. 12, 2013 4:45AM ET Corbis, Wikimedia CommonsTo Noel Willmett18 May 194410a Mortimer Crescent NW 6Dear Mr Willmett,George OrwellGot a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.