Guide to the Papers of Christina Stead, 1937-1988

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MS 8645; MS Acc08.157; MS Acc09.151.MS Acc22.022

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: December 2022

Collection Summary

Creator
Christina Stead
Title
Papers of Christina Stead
Date Range
1937-1988
Collection Number
MS 8645; MS Acc08.157; MS Acc09.151.MS Acc22.022
Extent
0.81 metres (5 boxes + 1 folder + 1 packet)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Special Collections (Manuscripts)

Introduction

Scope and Contents

MS 8645 comprises correspondence, 1946-1982, including letters from various writers, and copies of Christina Stead's letters and business correspondence. The main correspondents are Elizabeth Harrower, Cyrilly Abels, David Stead, Nancy Keesing, Dal Stiven, Ron Geering and Dorothy Green, Nancy and Stephen Murray-Smith, Laurence Pollinger, Tim Curnow, W.G. Hoddinott, M.H. Austin and Joan Daves. The collection also includes papers of Gilbert Stead, brother of Christina Stead, 1977-1983, comprising correspondence, cuttings and photocopies. The correspondents are Christina Stead, John Beston and Stanley Burnshaw. There are appointment diaries, 1962-1977, and other Christina Stead material such as photocopies and cuttings relating to For love alone, cuttings and an article relating to Stead's 80th birthday and printed material (4 boxes).

The Acc08.157 instalment comprises papers of Gilbert Stead including 19 personal letters written to him by Christina Stead (1 folder).

The Acc09.151 instalment comprises 17 letters from Christina Stead (C.E. Blake) to Betty and Gilbert Stead (1 packet).

The Acc22.022 instalment includes approximately 50 letters from Stead's literary agent Cyrilly Abels, in addition to letters and cards from other correspondents including Ruth McKenny, Mary Lord, David Stead, Hortense Calisher, Bill Blake, Laurie Hergenhan, Gwen Walker-Smith and Judith Wright. The collection also includes some fragments of Stead's typed notes (most likely for her novel I'm Dying Laughing), other handwritten notes, miscellaneous ephemera, newspaper clippings, and three black and white portrait photographs of Stead (1 box).

Conditions Governing Access

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1895980).

Conditions Governing Use

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Christina Stead, National Library of Australia, [class number, series and/or file number]'.

Biographical / Historical

Novelist and short-story writer. Christina Ellen Stead was born and educated in Australia, but spent most of her life abroad. During the 1930s she began to have novels published, with her acknowledged masterpiece, The man who loved children, being released in 1940. Despite critical acclaim she did not win a more general following until the mid-1960s. In 1974, Stead returned to Australia, making it her home for the first time since 1928.

Item Descriptions

Class MS 8645. Original Consignment

MS 8645 comprises correspondence, 1946-1982, including letters from various writers, and copies of Christina Stead's letters and business correspondence. The main correspondents are Elizabeth Harrower, Cyrilly Abels, David Stead, Nancy Keesing, Dal Stiven, Ron Geering and Dorothy Green, Nancy and Stephen Murray-Smith, Laurence Pollinger, Tim Curnow, W.G. Hoddinott, M.H. Austin and Joan Daves. The collection also includes papers of Gilbert Stead, brother of Christina Stead, 1977-1983, comprising correspondence, cuttings and photocopies. The correspondents are Christina Stead, John Beston and Stanley Burnshaw. There are appointment diaries, 1962-1977, and other Christina Stead material such as photocopies and cuttings relating to For love alone, cuttings and an article relating to Stead's 80th birthday and printed material

General correspondence, 1946-82: letters received from other writers. The correspondents include Elizabeth Harrower, Cyrilly Abels, Mita Murray-Smith, David Stead, Nancy Keesing, Dal Stiven, Stephanie Coontz, Ron Geering, Dorothy Green and G C Coombs. (File 1) - Box 1

Christina Stead's letters, 1976-80: Copies of Stead's letters (File 2) - Box 1

Business correspondence, 1965-77: includes letters of Stead's Literary Agents and publishers. The correspondents include Laurence Pollinger, Stephen Murray-Smith, W G Hoddinott, M H Austin, Joan Daves, Tim Curnow, Michael Costigan and Charlotte Mayerson. (File 3) - Box 1

Financial papers, 1969-82: miscellaneous financial papers (File 4) - Box 1

For love alone: photocopies and cuttings, 1983-85 (File 5) - Box 1

Miscellaneous notes (File 6-7) - Box 1

Miscellaneous typescripts (File 8) - Box 1

Miscellaneous cuttings and photocopies, 1965-88 (File 9-11) - Box 2

Cutting of an article concerning Stead's 80th birthday, Sydney Morning Herald, 17/7/1982 (File 12) - Box 2

Miscellaneous recipes (File 13) - Box 2

Miscellaneous leaflets and roneoed material (File 14) - Box 2

Appointment diaries, 1962-77 (File) - Box 3

Printed material (File) - Box 4

Class MS Acc08.157. Papers added September 2008 - Box Shared

This instalment comprises papers of Gilbert Stead including 19 personal letters written to him by Christina Stead

Class MS Acc09.151. Papers added September 2009 - Box 1 (Smalls)

This instalment comprises 17 letters from Christina Stead (C.E. Blake) to Betty and Gilbert Stead

Class MS Acc22.022. Papers added April 2022

MS Acc22.022 includes approximately 50 letters from Stead's literary agent Cyrilly Abels, in addition to letters and cards from other correspondents including Ruth McKenny, Mary Lord, David Stead, Hortense Calisher, Bill Blake, Laurie Hergenhan, Gwen Walker-Smith and Judith Wright. The collection also includes some fragments of Stead's typed notes (most likely for her novel I'm Dying Laughing), other handwritten notes, miscellaneous ephemera, newspaper clippings, and three black and white portrait photographs of Stead.

General correspondence and other notes, 1942-1980 (File 1) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.022)

Includes personal letters, greetings cards, business correspondence, typed and handwritten notes.

General correspondence and other notes, 1979-1981 (File 2) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.022)

Includes business correspondence, typed and handwritten notes, personal letters and greetings cards.

Business correspondence, 1964-1968 (File 3) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.022)

Letters from Stead's literary agent Cyrilly Abels.

Business correspondence, 1966-1970 (File 4) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.022)

Correspondence from Stead's literary agent Cyrilly Abels, including royalty statements.

Miscellaneous, 1980-1981 (File 5) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.022)

Newsletters, receipts, and other ephemera.

Miscellaneous newspaper clippings, 1969-1981 (File 6) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.022)

Photographs, 1942-1980 (File 7) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.022)

Three black and white prints of photographs of Christina Stead and a photocopied biography of Ruth McKenny.


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