MS 6327 PAPERS OF LAURENCE COLLINSON
Summary
| Creator: |
Laurence Collinson |
| Title: |
Papers |
| Date range: |
1938-85 |
| Extent: |
1.40m (11 boxes) |
| Reference number: |
MS 6327 |
Administrative Information
Access:
Available for reference except Box 11, Folders 10-11 (Closed until
2021)
Provenance:
The collection was purchased by the Library from Laurence Collinson in
1979 and an addition was purchased in 1986.
Scope and Content
The papers mainly document Collinsons life as a playwright and
poet, his later professional work as a counsellor and his active involvement in
the homosexual law reform group.
The collection comprises manuscripts of plays, mostly typescript;
correspondence in annotated files; material on the theatre and production of
plays, scenarios, poetry manuscripts; papers of other writers, personal
documents, photographs, sketches by R.A. Simpson, publications and audio
tapes.
The majority of letters date from the 1960s and 1970s, and include
letters from notable Australian writers such as Patrick White, Muir Holburn,
Alan Seymour, Geoffrey Dutton, Rosemary Dobson, Miles Franklin, Thea Astley,
Catherine Duncan and other writers. There are also letters from
publishers, family and friends.
Organisation
The papers have been organised into eight series.
Wherever possible, Collinsons file arrangement has been maintained
by the Library. In the correspondence series he arranged the files
alphabetically and included details about the correspondents occupations
and relationships to him. Other correspondence has been organised by the
Library chronologically.
Related Materials
Four paintings by Laurence Collinson are held at the Pictorial Section,
National Library. (PIC R10356-10359)
Biographical Note
Laurence Collinson was born in Leeds, England, on 7
September 1925. His family emigrated to Australia in1930 and he was
educated at primary and secondary schools in Melbourne, Sydney, Dalby and
Brisbane. Collinson completed a secondary teaching diploma at Merrer
House, Melbourne and from 1955-61 he taught mathematics and English at
Melbourne secondary schools. In 1961-64 Collinson worked as the editor of
a teachers journal, The Educational Magazine.
In 1964 he returned to London to pursue a career in
freelance writing. He considered himself as much a playwright as a poet. His
stories and poems have been included in many journals and anthologies, and his
plays for stage, television and radio have been produced both in Australian and
England.
For many years he was a member of the editoral board
for the Australian magazine Overland, and in the 1940s he founded
Barjai, a literary magazine for youth. In his later life Collinson
became interested in transactional analysis therapy (TA) and worked as a
counsellor.
Collinson died in London on 10 November 1986.
Collinsons publications include:
Poetry
Poets dozen (1953),
The moods of love (1957)
Who is wheeling grandma? (1967)
Hovering Narcissus (1977)
Plays
No sugar for George (performed Brisbane, 1949)
Friday night at the Schrammers (1962)
The Zelda trio ( performed 1961, Melbourne, London 1974)
A Slice of birthday cake (1965)
Thinking straight (1975)
Television plays
Uneasy paradise (Australia, 1963)
Nude with violin (written by Noel Coward, television adaptation
by Collinson, Australia, 1964)
The audition (Australia, 1964)
The moods of love (Australia, 1964)
Number thirty approximately (England, 1968)
Loving Israel (England, 1968)
The girl from upstairs (England, 1971)
Radio plays
A slice of birthday cake (Australia, 1963)
The slob on Friday (Canada, 1969)
Novel
Cupids crescent (privately printed London, 1973)
Series List
Series Title
1 Correspondence (alphabetical) 1938-76
2 Correspondence (chronological) 1960-85
3 Manuscripts and typescripts, 1949-77
4 Reviews and publicity, 1953-78
5 Personal documents and photographs, 1941-77
6 Works by other writers, 1945-75
7 Miscellaneous papers, 1945-77
8 Publications, 1946-85
Series Description
Series 1 Correspondence (alphabetical)
1938-76
Series 1 contains many personal letters, from friends and fellow
Australian writers. There are also some business letters relating to
various aspects of publishing and letters relating to the homosexual law reform
group. Collinson filed his letters in alphabetical order according to the
correspondents name. This filing order has been maintained.
The bulk of the letters date from the 1960s and 1970s.
Correspondents include Eunice Hanger, David Martin, James McAuley,
Stephen Murray-Smith, Miles Franklin, Dymphna Cusack, Nancy Cato, Clem
Christesen, Bruce Dawe, Vincent Buckley, Greg Branson, Thea Astley, Roderic
Anderson, Betty Roland, Barrie Reid, Leonard Shellam, Alan Seymour, Sybil
Thorndike, Kylie Tennant, Patrick White, Judith Wright, Nettie Palmer,
Katharine Susannah Prichard, Eric Collinson (Laurences uncle) Geoffrey
Dutton, Catherine Duncan, Diane Pearson, Margarey Vosper, Rosemary Dobson,
Universum, Peter Porter, Jean Campbell, R.A. Simpson, Roger Baker, Geoffrey
Blainey, Arnold Wesker, James Corbett, Peter Mathers, Muriel Mathers, Judah
Waten, Dr. Hohsna Moes, Michael Summerskill, Claude Steiner, Jim and Beth
Smyth, Alan Prior, Muir Holburn, Marjorie Pizer, John Sumner, the Australian
Broadcasting Comission and Thames Television.
Folder
1 A, 1961-73
2 B, 1961-76
3 C and D, 1958-72
4 E,F, and G, 1948-73
5 H,J, and K, 1959-73
6 M.Holburn, 1945-70
7 L,M and P, 1957-78
8 R,S, 1938, 1959-72
9 T,U,V,W, 1962-75
Series 2 Correspondence (chronological) 1960-85
This series comprises letters relating to the publication of
Cupids crescent, counselling and analysis. There are letters
from Eric Collinson (Laurences uncle), Catherine Duncan, Roger Baker and
James Corbett.
In 1973 Laurence self published his novel Cupids crescent
and the series contains letters, invoices, book orders and
other material relating to Cupids crescent.
Box 11, folders 11 and 12 consist of correspondence between Collinson,
Roger Baker and James Corbett. This box is closed.
Folder
1 1960-69
Folder
2 1970-73
3 1973-75
4 1974
5 1975-76
6 1977-79
7 1980-84
8 1985
9 Correspondence about Cupids Crescent, 1966-71
10 Correspondence with Roger Baker, 1974 (closed until 2021)
11 Correspondence with Roger Baker and James Corbett, 1974-75
(closed until 2021)
12 Correspondence with Eric Collinson, 1964-75 Correspondence and
notes about Transactional Analysis, 1977-81
13 Undated
correspondence
Series
3 Manuscripts
and typescripts, 1949-77
In maintaining Collinsons arrangement, folder 2 (Book publicity
and other papers, 1957-59) and folder 9 ( Reviews and other papers, 1961, 1974)
have been kept with series 3.
Poetry
The moods of love, 1957
Folder
1 Television script, shooting script and correspondence, 1964
2 Book publicity and other papers, 1957-59
Who is wheeling grandma? 1967
Typescript and astrology verses
Hovering narcissus, 1977
4 Copy, proof and paste-up
Plays
No sugar for George, 1949
5 Typescript
The Zelda trio, 1961, 1974
6 Typescript
7 Typescript with annotations
8 Photocopy of typescript and newpaper profile on Collinson, 1974
9 Reviews and other papers, 1961,1974
Television plays
Uneasy paradise, 1963
12 Typescript
Nude with violin (1964) The audition (1964) and
Number Thirty approximately (1968)
13 Typescripts
The girl from upstairs, 1971
14 Typescripts
Radio play
15 Typescripts of The slob on Friday, 1969 and another
typescript for a television play entitled Grave and friendly
Other manuscripts and typescripts
16-21 Typescripts of One penny for Israel (performed London,
1978) other typescripts, playscripts, synopsis and Council of Adult
Education notes
Novel
Cupids crescent, 1973
22 Manuscript
23 Typescript
24 Letters and notes about publication and newspaper reviews
25 Manuscript and article by Collinson
Series
4 Reviews and
publicity, 1953-78
In keeping with Collinsons arrangement, some of the review
and publicity papers can be found in series 3.
Folder
1 Newspaper reviews and journal articles about The moods of love
and Who is wheeling grandma?1957-67 and letters relating to the
publication of The moods of love, 1957-59
1 Typescripts include The merchant by Arnold Wesker, 1975
and Self portrait in a mask by Catherine Duncan, 1974
2 Poems by James Corbett, 1965
3 Musical score Night songs by Fabian Watkinson, based on
Collinsons poems
4 Muir Holburns poems in A Comment, 1945 and an extract by
M. Holburn in Southerly, 1949
Series
7
Miscellaneous papers and tape recordings, 1945-77
In 1946 Collinson exhibited with artists Laurence
Hope, Pamela Seeman and others at the Miya Studio in Brisbane. There is a
catalogue and other papers relating to the Exhibition.
The series also includes Collinsons personal
statement, material relating to the Communist Party of Australia,
correspondence with a Czechoslovakian literary magazine and a contract for the
play Thinking straight. In 1974 Laurence Collinson
and Roger Baker interviewed William Burroughs and subsequently the interviews
were transcribed and published in a book Gay Sunshine Interview,
1978. There are some small pencil sketches, one larger ink drawing by
R.A. Simpson and a letter from Geoffrey Blainey.
Folder/Item
1 Art exhibition catologue of Collinsons work, R.A.
Simpsons drawings and another small painting on paper, 1945-77
2 Collinsons personal statement, contract, Overland
magazine articles and material relating to Communist Party of Australia,
1959-68
3 Correspondence and Collinsons
impressions of his stay at the Foundation Karolyi, France, letter from Geoffrey
Blainey and poem by R.A. Simpson and other papers, 1962-74
4 Contract and a copy of the paper Gay News, including cuttings
of articles, financial papers, theatre and poem readings and programs,
1965-77
5-6 Audio-tapes of interview with William Burroughs
7 Brush drawing of Collinson by R.A. Simpson, 1963
Series
8
Publications, 1946-85
Collinson published many poems in literary and gay liberation
journals.
Published articles by Collinson
Folder/ Item
1 7 copies of booklet of Poets dozen, 1953
2 Putting it between plain covers, Club
International,1975
3-4 2 copies of the The gay journal, No. 1, 1978, and No. 2,
1979
5 Transactional Analysis, Individual therapy in
Britain, 1984
6 Complied by Martin Humphries, Not love alone, A modern gay
anthology 1985
About Collinson:
7 Erkundungen, 31 Australische Erzahler, 1976 (German text)
Other Publications:
8 Elizabeth Hamill These modern writers, studies of the work
of D. H. Lawrence, James Joyce, Aldous Huxley, T.S. Eliot, E.M. Forster,
Virginia Woolf, Katherine Mansfield and others, 1946
9 Australian theatregoer, May-July, 1961
10 Outlook, Vol 6, No. 6, December 1962
11-15 The educational magazine, No. 7 1962, No. 9 1962, No. 10
1962, No. 1 1963, No. 6 July 1963
16-19 Is an indigenous Australian drama possible or necessary ?,
UNESCO Conference on playwriting, 1962 (includes program),
UNESCO Information Circular, Vol 13, No. 3 May, Vol 13, No. 4
July, 1962
20 Universum: A review of Czechoslovakian literature and arts,
No. 5, 1968
21 The lion who ran away, retold by Collinson, 1968
22 The lion and the mouse and other fables, retold by Collinson,
1968
Box List
| Box |
Series |
Folder/Item
|
|
1 |
1 |
1-9 |
|
2 |
2 |
1-8 |
|
3 |
2 |
9, 12-14 |
|
3 |
3 |
1-2 |
|
4 |
3 |
3-10 |
|
5 |
3 |
12-18 |
|
6 |
3 |
19-25 |
|
7 |
4 |
1-5 |
|
7 |
5 |
1-4 |
|
8 |
5 |
5-7 |
|
8 |
6 |
1-4 |
|
8 |
7 |
1-3 |
|
9 |
7 |
4-6 |
|
Folio Box |
7 |
7 |
|
9 |
8 |
1-8 |
|
10 |
8 |
9-22 |
|
Closed
11 |
2 |
10-11 |
November 2000 |