Written by Felix J. Jepsen, second place in the Askpetersen essay writing competition. George Orwell's Chosen Essay Topic: 'How We Live in George Orwell', The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell by Orwell, George, 1903-1950. Publication topics Orwell, George, 1903-1950, Orwell, George, 1903-1950 Miscellanea, Political science, Political philosophy Publisher Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books Collection1. Down and Out in Paris and London. This is the first book published by George Orwell. It is a memoir of Orwell's time living and sleeping rough in London, spending much time among vagrants and people on the fringes of society, as well as washing dishes and living a life of near poverty in Paris. an essay by George Orwell which recounts his personal experience of witnessing a hanging while serving as a colonial police officer in Burma under the British Empire. The essay reflects on the moral implications and dehumanizing nature of capital punishment. Orwell describes the execution scene, explores his own.