Guide to the Papers of Peter Carey
Reference Number: MS7566
National Library of Australia
| Date completed: | 2001 |
| Last updated: | November 2001 |
Table of Contents
Collection Summary
Introduction
Scope and Content
Arrangement
Access
Restrictions on Use
Preferred Citation
Provenance
Related Material
Biographical note
Series description
Series 1 General correspondence, 1969-1981
Series 2 Writings, 1967-1979
Series 3 Notebooks, 1965-1985
Series 4 School reports, 1954-1960
Series 5 Cuttings and photocopies, 1969-1988
Series 6 Miscellaneous, 1988
Container list
Collection Summary
| Creator: | Carey, Peter, 1943- |
| Title: | Papers of Peter Carey |
| Date Range: | 1954-1988 |
| Collection number: | MS7566 |
| Extent: | 84cm (6 boxes) + 1 folio |
| Repository: | National Library of Australia |
| Abstract: | Typescripts and drafts of Carey's published and unpublished works, correspondence, eight handwritten notebooks containing ideas for novels and short stories, the transcript of an interview with Van Ikin and school reports. Five of the notebooks contain notes which relate mostly to Carey's novel 'Pets' which was later published as Illywhacker. Correspondents include Phillip Adams, Noni Brahm, Clem Christesen, Laurie Clancy, Tim Curnow, Geoffrey Dutton, Brian Kiernan, Colleen McCullough, Frank Moorhouse, Stephen Murray-Smith, Bill Peach, Deborah Rogers (Carey's literary agent), Frank Thompson, Meril Yule, Judah Waten, Richard Walsh and Michael Wilding. |
Introduction
Scope and Content
The papers include general correspondence, eight manuscript notebooks recording ideas for his writing, drafts of several of Carey's novels and short stories, reviews of his work and school reports. Correspondents include Phillip Adams, Noni Brahm, Clem Christesen, Laurie Clancy, Tim Curnow, Geoffrey Dutton, Brian Kiernan, Colleen McCullough, Frank Moorhouse, Stephen Murray-Smith, Bill Peach, Deborah Rogers (Carey's literary agent), Frank Thompson, Meril Yule, Judah Waten, Richard Walsh and Michael Wilding.
Arrangement
The Library has arranged the papers into six series, retaining Carey's organisation of papers within files.
Access
Restricted: Series 1 - folders 1-3; Series 2 and Series 4-6
Available for reference: Series 1 - item 4, and Series 3
Provenance
The initial instalment of papers was acquired from Carey in 1984, under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme. In August 2001, the Library purchased privately one volume of Carey's business correspondence and in October 2001 it purchased at auction eight notebooks containing working notes for ideas for novels and short stories.
Restrictions on Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished materials in manuscript collections is limited and permission must be obtained from the library and/or the copyright holder.
Related Material
The Fryer Library at the University of Queensland holds a large collection of Carey Papers, including a set of notebooks which complement the holdings in Series 3 of this collection.
The State Library of Victoria holds manuscripts of unpublished works by Carey, together with material relating to his book True history of the Kelly Gang.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as [Name of item], Papers of Peter Carey, National Library of Australia, MS7566, Series number, folder number
Biographical note
Peter Carey was born in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, in 1943. He was educated at Geelong Grammar School (1954-60) and later at Monash University where he studied science. Early contact with writers Morris Lurie and Barry Oakley led him into writing and advertising. Between 1962 and 1967 he supported his early writing career by working in advertising agencies in Melbourne, writing advertising copy. In the late 1960s he travelled through Europe and the Middle East and worked in London in advertising. He returned to Australia in 1970 and worked in a number of advertising agencies in Melbourne and Sydney. It was during this period that he began to write the short stories which appear in the Fat Man in History (1974)
In the late 1970s Carey moved to an 'alternative community' at Yandina in Queensland, writing for three weeks out of the month and working the fourth for an advertising firm in Sydney. During this time he wrote most of the stories which were published in War Crimes (1979) and completed his first novel Bliss (1981).
In 1980 Carey returned to Sydney and opened an advertising agency in partnership with Bani McSpedden. In 1981 he moved to Bellingen in northern New South Wales, which provided the inspiration for Illywhacker (1985) and Oscar and Lucinda (1988).
In 1990 Carey, his wife Alison Summers and his two sons took up residence in New York, where Carey went on to write The Tax Inspector (1991), The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith (1994), Jack Maggs (1997) and True history of the Kelly Gang (2001). He teaches creative writing part-time at New York University.
Carey has won numerous literary awards, including:
| The Booker Prize | Illywhacker, shortlisted in 1985; Oscar and Lucinda, 1988; True history of the Kelly Gang, 2001 |
| The Miles Franklin Award | Bliss, 1981; Oscar and Lucinda, 1989; Jack Maggs, 1998; True history of the Kelly Gang, shortlisted in 2001 |
| The Age Book of the Year Award | Illywhacker, 1985; The unusual life of Tristan Smith, 1994; Jack Maggs, 1997 |
| The Commonwealth Writers Prize | Jack Maggs, 1998; True story of the Kelly Gang, 2001 |
| NSW Premier's Literary Award | War Crimes, 1980; Bliss, 1982 |
| NBC Banjo Award | Bliss, 1982; Illywhacker, 1985; Oscar and Lucinda, 1989 |
| FAW Barbara Ramsden Award | Illywhacker, 1985 |
| Vance Palmer Prize for fiction | Illywhacker, 1986 |
| Townsville Foundation for Australian Literary Studies Award | Oscar and Lucinda, 1988 |
| SA Festival Award | Oscar and Lucinda, 1990 |
| Ditmar Award for Best Australian Science Fiction Novel | Illywhacker, 1986 |
Reference
Series description
Series 1 General correspondence, 1969-1981
This series comprises correspondence relating to Carey's writings, the publication of his books, negotiations for film rights for his novel Bliss and his short story The puzzling nature of blue.
Much of the correspondence is concerned with a copyright dispute between Carey and Deborah Rogers (his literary agent) and Meril Yule and Frank Thompson of Queensland University Press. The letters are mostly incoming, with only a few copies of Carey's replies.
Other correspondents include Phillip Adams, Noni Brahm, Clem Christesen, Geoffrey Dutton, Brian Kiernan, Colleen McCullough, Frank Moorhouse, Stephen Murray-Smith, Richard Walsh, Judah Waten and Michael Wilding.
Folder 4 , 1969-1974
One bound volume of original letters, comprising 109 items, mostly letters dating from 1969-74. They include letters dating from the time of Carey's first book The fat man in history (1974)and important impressions of his unpublished novel 'Wog', including Geoffrey Dutton's rejection. Other correspondents include Phillip Adams, Clem Christesen, Laurie Clancy, Frank Moorhouse, Stephen Murray-Smith, Bill Peach, Deborah Rogers and Michael Wilding.
Provenance
Addition 23.08.01
Series 2 Writings, 1967-1979
The series comprises manuscript and typescript drafts, correspondence with publishers, cuttings, reviews and other papers relating to two of Carey's unpublished novels and a number of his short stories. Correspondents include Michael George of André Deutsch (one letter) and Tim Curnow of Curtis Brown (one letter).
Subseries 2.1 Novels
Folder 1 'Wog'
Bound carbon copy of typescript and a copy of a letter from Michael George regarding the unpublished novel, 1967-70
Folder 2 'Adventures aboard the Marie Celeste'
Bound copy of typescript with minor alterations (Eildon, March 1971) and a copy of a letter from Tim Curnow regarding the unpublished novel. The first page of the typescript contains the annotation 'This copy contains David Kendall's editorial marks and remarks, as the manuscript was prepared for publication by Outback Press in 1974 or 75'.
Subseries 2.2 Short Stories
Folder 3 'Structure', 1970
Typescript
Folder 4 'Crabs', 1972
Edited typescript.
Folder 5 'A windmill in the west', 1972
Drafts and cutting of the story as it appeared in Meanjin Quarterly, Dec 1972
Folder 6-7 'Peeling,' 1972
Edited typescript
Folder 8 'Happy story', 1973
Edited typescript
Folder 9 'Conversation with unicorns', 1973
Final draft and cut-out of published story in The Sun, Jan 1973
Folder 10 'Room no. 5', 1973
Typescript, plus printed copy as it appeared in Nation Review, 1973
Folder 11 'The mad puzzle king', 1973
Drafts and cuttings of the story as it appeared in the Living Daylight, 1973
Folder 12 'Joe', 1973
Typescript, 1973
Folder 13 'Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran', 1973
Typescript, 1973
Folder 14 'Withdrawal', 1974
Typescript, several drafts, 1974
Folder 15 'The fat man in history', 1974
Typescript, 1974
Folder 16 'The puzzling nature of blue', 1974
Manuscript and typescript drafts, 1974
Folder 17 'Kristin Du', 1974
drafts and notes, including early drafts of the same idea in a different story, 1974
Folder 18 'American dreams', 1974
Edited typescript, 1974
Folder 19 'Life and death in the Southside Pavilion', 1974
Typescripts of several drafts, 1974
Folder 20 'Report on the shadow industry', 1974
Typescripts, with several drafts, 1974
Folder 21 'I know you can talk', 1975
Typescript draft, 1975
Folder 22-23 'The chance', 1977
Manuscript and typescript drafts, 1977
Folder 24 'The cosmic pragmatist', 1977
Edited typescript, 1977
Folder 25-26 'Concerning the Greek tyrant', 1978
Edited typescript, 1978
Folder 27-28 'War crimes'
Typed drafts, final versions, copies and preliminary notes as well as copies of published version cut out from periodicals.
Folder 29 'Feet'
Edited typescript, undated
Folder 30 'Slides for a magic lantern'
Bound original typescript with minor alterations, undated
Folder 31 'In loving memory of Luke McClosky'
Edited typescript, undated
Folder 32 'Marvin Gnash is really weird'
Edited typescript, undated
Folder 33 Untitled:
Edited typescript, undated
Folder 34 'The dream of the world's greatest architect'
Edited typescript, undated
Folder 35 'Saturday'
Typescript, undated
Folder 36 'Rousseau set upon by his tigers'
Typescript, undated
Folder 37 'Fire dreams'
Edited typescript, undated
Folder 38 'The last great optimist'
Edited typescript, undated
Folder 39 'Mayfair'
Typescript, undated
Folder 40 'A schoolboy prank'
Typescript and manuscript, undated
Folder 41 'Williamson wood'
Typescript and notes, undated
Series 3 Notebooks, 1965-1985
During the course of his career, Carey has maintained notebooks of ideas for novels and short stories. Contained in this series are eight of these handwritten notebooks, all but two of which have been numbered by Carey. Five of the eight notebooks contain notes which relate mostly to Carey's novel 'Pets', which was later published as Illywhacker.
Item 1 Unnumbered notebook, 1965-1970
Contains notes and early draft of a novella entitled 'The Chance'
Item 3 Notebook No. 1, September-October 1980
Contains notes relating to the publication and promotion of Bliss, together with ideas for novels or stories and notes for Carey's advertising projects.
Item 4 Notebook No. 2, October-December 1980
Notes relating to Carey's novel 'Pets' and some advertising and personal notes
Item 5 Notebook No. 4, February-March 1981
Notes relating to Carey's novel 'Pets' and some advertising and personal notes
Item 6 Notebook No. 5, May-June 1981
Notes relating to Carey's novel 'Pets' and some advertising and personal notes
Series 4 School reports, 1954-1960
This series contains Carey's school reports covering six years of his education at Geelong Church of England Grammar School. The reports include comments from his teachers on English, science, mathematics and physical education.
Series 5 Cuttings and photocopies, 1969-1988
The series contains cuttings and photocopies of Carey's published short stories.
Series 6 Miscellaneous, 1988
This series contains a transcript of an interview with Van Ikin, a poster of contemporary Australian writers, University of Queensland Press dust jackets for Carey's books and media releases and photocopies of newspaper cuttings relating to his winning the Booker Prize for Oscar and Lucinda
Container list
| Series | Folder/item | Box |
| 1 | 1-3 | 1 |
| 2 | 1-4 | 1 |
| 2 | 5-13 | 2 |
| 2 | 14-21 | 3 |
| 2 | 22-30 | 4 |
| 2 | 31-39 | 5 |
| 2 | 40-41 | 6 |
| 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 5 | 1-2 | 6 |
| 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 1 (addition 23.08.01 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | 1-8 | 7 |
| 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 5 | Folio |