Overdue copy of George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier returned to library 50 years later – and ‘smelled horribly’

A George Orwell book checked out of a UK library 50 years ago has finally been returned by a failed borrower.

The hardcover book of George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier was due at Hull Central Library in 1974. What would have been a hefty fee was eliminated thanks to the library’s choice to waive all fines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In those days, there were fines for late returns – and there’s some strict wording stamped inside the book to remind users of that,” Hull Central Library events manager Katie Holdstock told the BBC.

“We waived library fines during the pandemic and never returned them. We want there to be as few barriers as possible for patrons using our libraries.”

As remarkable as the book’s recovery is, Holdstock said it is unable to put it back on the shelves after its five-decade adventure. She noted that apart from her poor physical condition, she also smelled terrible.

“That musty smell is exactly what you get in our library stacks—where we keep old books that aren’t on our public shelves, in case someone wants one!” Holstock told the media.

Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier was first published in 1937 and served as his two-part sociological commentary. The first part discusses working-class northern England before the First World War, while the second provides insight into his middle-class upbringing and how his political thought process was shaped over time.

Forgotten bookworms pop into their local libraries from time to time to return long-lost books anywhere from 30 to even 100 years late—and usually without having to pay a fine.

A shrewd borrower returned a book titled “Psychedelics” to a library in Colorado 37 years later and left a note apologizing and explaining that they had a “long and strange journey.”

Back in Colorado, a woman returned a book that was supposedly checked out by her late mother 105 years ago. The original fine of 2 cents a day would have been about $760 if it were still in the early 1900s. With modern inflation, it would eventually amount to $14,000.

A library in Westchester County didn’t let a 90-year-overdue book go free. A devoted stepson drove from Virginia to return the book—and considering the somewhat odd 400-mile trip he undertook, the library only slapped him with a simple $5 fee.