Who is George Orwell from The Road to Wigan Pier and what is their importance?

The author, George Orwell was born Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950) in India while it was part of the British Empire. Orwell's father worked in the civil service. His mother returned to England with Orwell when he was young and he did not see his father for several years. He describes his upbringing as 'lower-upper-middle class.' He attended St. Cyprian's School in Eastbourne, Sussex, then Wellington, then Eton. In 1922 he joined the Imperial Police in Burma, an experience that taught him to hate imperialism. He returned to England in 1927, resigned his police position, and devoted himself to full-time writing.