An exhibition of literary letters in the Library

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Date 19 April 2017

'Excuse the scrawl', an exhibition of literary letters from the Special Collections of the College Library, is on show during Trinity Term.

An exhibition displaying the letters of people of letters. From authors to authors, from writers to publishers, from illustrators to poets, there is a wealth of literary correspondence in the Library. Highlights of the exhibition include :

  • Excuse the scrawl exhibition poster 2017Jane Austen to Anna Austen, her niece, giving advice on writing a novel
  • Siegfried Sassoon to Robert Graves, discussing the portrayal of their friendship in Graves’ Goodbye to all that
  • T.S. Eliot to Robert Graves, in an attempt to get Graves to sign a petition to save Ezra Pound from execution for fascist sympathies at the end of the Second World War
  • C.S. Lewis to J.B. Leishman, translator
  • Edward Ardizzone to Robert Graves, with a sample illustration for one of Graves’ books for children
  • W.B. Yeats to Charlotte Shaw, wife of George Bernard Shaw, discussing their mutual fried T.E. Lawrence and the newly founded Irish Academy of Letters
  • Leonard Woolf, publisher and husband of Virginia Woolf, to J.B. Leishman
  • Philip Larkin to Charles Monteith, publisher at Faber, postcards and a birthday card
  • J.R.R. Tolkien to J. B. Leishman.

The exhibition has been curated by Connie Bettison, the College's Graduate Library Trainee. It is open to all members of College and their guests, and alumni with up to three guests. Members of the public wishing to see the exhibition should contact the Librarian in advance.