Writer penned Animal Farm will living in Mortimer Crescent

A plaque in honour of a renowned writer who wrote one of his best known novels while living in Kilburn will be unveiled next week.

A commemorative tablet will be erected on Kington House, the former site of 10a Mortimer Crescent, in memory of George Orwell.

The ‘1984’ author lived at the address when he penned Animal Farm which has been dubbed one of the 100 best English-language novels of all time.

Mr Orwell, who was born Eric Arthur Blair and died at the age of 47 in 1950, lived at the address between summer 1942 until June 1944 when the house was destroyed in the Second World War.

Kington House was built in its place.

Ed Fordham, a Kilburn historian, helped to raised �1,000 needed to cover the costs of commissioning, designing, producing and placing the plaque.

He said: “It’s great that at a time whilst there is a debate raging about a statue at the BBC to George Orwell and where he was radical or not we here in Kilburn, NW6, can get on with recognising one of our most famous past residents.

“George Orwell in Kilburn follows in a grand tradition of AA Milne who we commemorated last year and there are many more to follow including WH Smith, Louis Wain and Annie Besant.”

The plaque will be unveiled by Richard Blair, the author’s adoptedson, on September 11 at 3pm.

A small reception will take place in nearby Mortimer Tenants before Mr Blair takes part in a book reading and a discussion of Orwell’s work at West End Lane Books in West End Lane.