Guide to the Papers of Thomas Shapcott

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MS 5577

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator
Shapcott, Thomas W. (Thomas William), 1935-
Title
Papers of Thomas Shapcott
Date Range
1949-1997
Collection Number
MS 5577
Extent
1.05 metres (7 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
National Library of Australia
Sponsor
This finding aid was revised and published with the assistance of the Ray Mathew and Eva Kollsman Trust.

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The earlier papers are largely comprised of draft and typescript manuscripts of 'Time on Fire', 'A Taste of Salt Water', 'Shabbytown Calendar', 'Begin with Walking' and many uncollected poems, together with correspondence with Charles Blackman and writers such as R.A. Simpson, Craig Powell, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Peter Skrzynecki, Douglas Stewart, James McAuley, Richard Tipping, John Tranter and Robert Adamson. Also included is a group of correspondence with Gwen Harwood and Rodney Hall, which incorporates drafts of the latter's 'The Law of Karma', 'Heaven in a Way' and 'Romulus and Remus, a progression of poems'. The 1998 addition relates principally to Shapcott's directorship of the National Book Council and includes correspondence and notes documenting his role in the Council's activities. Also represented is Shapcott's participation as a judge in many Australian poetry and literary competitions and delegate at overseas festivals, as well as a number of photographs of the poet and his family.

Conditions Governing Access

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2623884).

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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Thomas Shapcott, National Library of Australia, MS 5577, [box and file number]'.

Provenance

The collection was received in five instalments in 1970, 1973 (two consignments), 1977 and 1998.

Letters by Shapcott are also contained in a number of other literary collections held in the Manuscript Section. Recordings of a 1959 reading by the poet and an 1974 interview are held in the Oral History Collection at ORAL DeB 240 and ORAL DeB 754 respectively. Portrait photographs taken in 1983 and 1990 are housed in the Pictorial Collection.

Separated Materials

In addition to items deposited in the National Library, other collections of Shapcott's papers are located in the Australian Special Research Collection of the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Fryer Library at the University of Queensland.

Biographical Note

For much of his career a practising accountant and part-time writer, Tom Shapcott has published more than 36 titles including collections of poems, essays, short stories, novels and books for young readers. In 1992 he was appointed Executive Director of the National Book Council, a position which he held until 1997 when he accepted up the post of inaugural Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Adelaide.

DateEvent
1935Born Ipswich, Queensland, 21 March
1940-1948Educated West Ipswich State School and Blair State School
1949-1950Attended Ipswich Grammar School
1951-1961Employee of H.S. Shapcott, Public Accountant
1960Married Margaret Hodge
1961Publication of 'Time on Fire' for which he is awarded the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry
1963-1968Part-time Bachelor of Arts degree student, University of Queensland
1967'A Taste of Salt Water', which was awarded the Sir Thomas White Memorial Prize and the Myer Charity Trust Award
1972'Begin with Walking'
1972-1978Sole practice, Shapcott Shapcott, later specialising in taxation for writers, creative artists and academics
1974-1976Deputy Chairman, Literature Board of the Australia Council
1975'Shabbytown Calendar'
1978-1983Receives the Canada-Australia Literary Award
1978-1980Full-time writer, including Senior Writing Literature Board Fellowship
1980Divorced Margaret Hodge
1980-1983Treasurer, Australian Society of Authors
1982Married Judith Rodriguez
1983Travel in Europe and Canada on literary research
1983-1990Director, Literature Board of the Australia Council and member of a number of its specialist committees
1989Awarded Order of Australia, Honorary Doctor of Letters, Macquarie University, Golden Wreath of Struga International Poetry Festival, Yugoslavia
1990-1992Full-time writer, Category A Literature Board Fellowship and Treasurer, Australian Society of Authors
1991-1997Executive Director, National Book Council
1992-Director, Copyright Agency Ltd
1995Received Christopher Brennan Award, Fellowship of Australian Writers
1997-Professor of Creative Writing, University of Adelaide
DateEvent
1935Born Ipswich, Queensland, 21 March
1940-1948Educated West Ipswich State School and Blair State School
1949-1950Attended Ipswich Grammar School
1951-1961Employee of H.S. Shapcott, Public Accountant
1960Married Margaret Hodge
1961Publication of 'Time on Fire' for which he is awarded the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry
1963-1968Part-time Bachelor of Arts degree student, University of Queensland
1967'A Taste of Salt Water', which was awarded the Sir Thomas White Memorial Prize and the Myer Charity Trust Award
1972'Begin with Walking'
1972-1978Sole practice, Shapcott & Shapcott, later specialising in taxation for writers, creative artists and academics
1974-1976Deputy Chairman, Literature Board of the Australia Council
1975'Shabbytown Calendar'
1978-1983Receives the Canada-Australia Literary Award
1978-1980Full-time writer, including Senior Writing Literature Board Fellowship
1980Divorced Margaret Hodge
1980-1983Treasurer, Australian Society of Authors
1982Married Judith Rodriguez
1983Travel in Europe and Canada on literary research
1983-1990Director, Literature Board of the Australia Council and member of a number of its specialist committees
1989Awarded Order of Australia, Honorary Doctor of Letters, Macquarie University, Golden Wreath of Struga International Poetry Festival, Yugoslavia
1990-1992Full-time writer, Category A Literature Board Fellowship and Treasurer, Australian Society of Authors
1991-1997Executive Director, National Book Council
1992-Director, Copyright Agency Ltd
1995Received Christopher Brennan Award, Fellowship of Australian Writers
1997-Professor of Creative Writing, University of Adelaide

Item Descriptions

Class MS 5577. Early consignments,1970-1977

Correspondence with Gwen Harwood, 1964-1970 (File 1)

Correspondence with Ron Simpson, 1962-1976 (File 2)

Correspondence with Charles Blackman, together with typescript interview and part of a manuscript on Charles Blackman, 1966-1975 (File 3-4)

Correspondence with Bruce Beaver, Douglas Stewart, James McAuley, Geoffrey Dutton, Beatrice Davis and typescript interview with Beaver (File 5)

Correspondence with and manuscript about Rodney Hall, 1965-1968 (File 6)

Correspondence with Craig Powell, 1970-1977 (File 7-8)

Correspondence with V. Viidikas, R. Adamson, R. Tipping, G. Hutchinson, 1971-1974 (File 9)

Correspondence with Peter Skrzynecki, 1968-1974 (File 10)

Correspondence with Chris Wallace-Crabbe, 1962-1976 (File 11)

General correspondence, 1964-1975 (File 12-14)

Juvenilia, 1949-1957 (File 15-16)

Manuscript of 'Time on Fire' (File 17)

Manuscript of 'A Taste of Salt Water' (File 18)

Manuscript of 'Begin with Walking' (File 19-20)

Manuscript of 'Shabbytown Calendar' (File 21-23)

Uncollected poems (File 24)

Dummy manuscript for 'Experimental Songs' (File 25)

Uncollected poems (File 26-27)

Class MS 5577. Addition, 10 July 1998

Diary of visit to Canada and Europe, 1980 (File 28-29)

University of Sydney Theatre Workshop-Department of Indonesian and Malayan Studies production of 'Dhuang Hyang Kapulungan', 1981-1983 (File 30)

Fourth draft of 'Dhuang Hyang Kapulungan' (File 31)

Transcripts of interviews with Shapcott and associated correspondence, 1986-1997 (File 32)

Libretti for 'Quasimodo' and related papers, 1991 (File 33)

Manuscript article 'America and the poetry circuit', 1972; papers relating to compilation of proposed 'Of Poetry and Place' anthology for the National Library of Australia, c. 1990? (File 34)

Typescript manuscript of 'A Beach at Alberese', 1997 (File 35)

Appointment as Executive Director, National Book Council, 1992 (File 36)

National Book Council correspondence and papers, 1992-1997 (File 37-38)

National Book Council correspondence and papers, including annual reports, 1992-1995 (File 39)

National Book Council correspondence and papers, 1993-1997 (File 40)

National Book Council correspondence and papers, 1993-1995 (File 41)

Papers relating to Rosemary Sorensen and controversy over October 1994 issue of the 'Australian Book Review' (File 42)

Drafts and correspondence concerning the 'Writer's Guide to Tax', 1992-1995 (File 43)

Taxation seminars, 1994-1995 (File 44)

Notes and correspondence relating to booklet 'How to Host a Successful Author Tour', 1994-1995 (File 45)

Classification Review Board hearing on classification of 'Rabelais', 1996 (File 46)

Judging of literary competitions and awards, 1990-1996 (File 47)

Kuala Lumpur World Poetry Reading, 1990 (File 48)

Correspondence with Alison Crook, State Library of New South Wales, 1992-93; Asia-Pacific Library Conference, 1995 (File 49)

National Word Festival, 1993, 1995 (File 50)

Creating Culture : the New Growth Industry, 11-12 August, 1994 (File 51)

2nd National Book Summit, 1995 (File 52)

Australia-Korea Foundation Cultural Delegation to the Republic of Korea, 9-15 October, 1995 (File 53)

Gwen Harwood tribute, Adelaide Festival, 1995 (File 54)

Photographs and copies of photographs of Shapcott, 1946-199? (File 55)

Small photograph album of Shapcott and family, 1958-1996 (File 56)

Container List

File Box
1-6 1
7-16 2
17-27 3
28-32 4
33-40 5
41-48 6
49-56 7

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