The renovation, which has been under discussion since 2010, when the house was declared a protected site, is being underwritten by the government of Bihar state, which is hoping the museum will become a tourist attraction. Motihari is in northeastern India, near the border of Nepal.

Orwell, who was born Eric Arthur Blair, was born there while his father, Richard Blair, was posted in Bihar as an employee of the Indian Civil Service, to supervise the production of opium for export to China.

Exactly what the museum will hold remains to be seen. Richard Blair, Orwell’s son, has declared himself in favor of the project and willing to help. The largest collection of Orwelliana, including manuscripts, correspondence, audio recordings, photographs and diaries, is at the George Orwell Archive at University College, London.

Mr. Blair is a member of the archive committee, and his plan, he told The Guardian, is to raise the prospect of creating facsimiles of some of the archive’s holdings, to be sent to Motihar.(HC)

Special Reporter