"HELL" by Henri Barbusse Henri Barbusse (1873 – 1935) was a French novelist, and political activist. He was editor of “Clarté”, the periodicals “Monde” (1928–1935) and “Progrès Civique”, which published some of George Orwell's first writings. He was also literary editor for the daily newspaper “l'Humanité” from 1926 to 1929. Barbusse was the author of a 1936 biography of Joseph Stalin, titled “Staline: Un monde nouveau vu à travers un homme” (Stalin. A New World Seen Through the Man). Barbusse was an Esperantist, and was honorary president of the first congress of the Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda. While writing a second biography of Stalin in Moscow, Barbusse fell ill with pneumonia and died on 30 August 1935.