Guide to the Papers of Thomas Shapcott
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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.
Related Materials
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.
Date | Event |
---|---|
1935 | Born Ipswich, Queensland, 21 March |
1940-1948 | Educated West Ipswich State School and Blair State School |
1949-1950 | Attended Ipswich Grammar School |
1951-1961 | Employee of H.S. Shapcott, Public Accountant |
1960 | Married Margaret Hodge |
1961 | Publication of 'Time on Fire' for which he is awarded the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry |
1963-1968 | Part-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' |
1972-1978 | Sole practice, Shapcott Shapcott, later specialising in taxation for writers, creative artists and academics |
1974-1976 | Deputy Chairman, Literature Board of the Australia Council |
1975 | 'Shabbytown Calendar' |
1978-1983 | Receives the Canada-Australia Literary Award |
1978-1980 | Full-time writer, including Senior Writing Literature Board Fellowship |
1980 | Divorced Margaret Hodge |
1980-1983 | Treasurer, Australian Society of Authors |
1982 | Married Judith Rodriguez |
1983 | Travel in Europe and Canada on literary research |
1983-1990 | Director, Literature Board of the Australia Council and member of a number of its specialist committees |
1989 | Awarded Order of Australia, Honorary Doctor of Letters, Macquarie University, Golden Wreath of Struga International Poetry Festival, Yugoslavia |
1990-1992 | Full-time writer, Category A Literature Board Fellowship and Treasurer, Australian Society of Authors |
1991-1997 | Executive Director, National Book Council |
1992- | Director, Copyright Agency Ltd |
1995 | Received Christopher Brennan Award, Fellowship of Australian Writers |
1997- | Professor of Creative Writing, University of Adelaide |
Date | Event |
---|---|
1935 | Born Ipswich, Queensland, 21 March |
1940-1948 | Educated West Ipswich State School and Blair State School |
1949-1950 | Attended Ipswich Grammar School |
1951-1961 | Employee of H.S. Shapcott, Public Accountant |
1960 | Married Margaret Hodge |
1961 | Publication of 'Time on Fire' for which he is awarded the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry |
1963-1968 | Part-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' |
1972-1978 | Sole practice, Shapcott & Shapcott, later specialising in taxation for writers, creative artists and academics |
1974-1976 | Deputy Chairman, Literature Board of the Australia Council |
1975 | 'Shabbytown Calendar' |
1978-1983 | Receives the Canada-Australia Literary Award |
1978-1980 | Full-time writer, including Senior Writing Literature Board Fellowship |
1980 | Divorced Margaret Hodge |
1980-1983 | Treasurer, Australian Society of Authors |
1982 | Married Judith Rodriguez |
1983 | Travel in Europe and Canada on literary research |
1983-1990 | Director, Literature Board of the Australia Council and member of a number of its specialist committees |
1989 | Awarded Order of Australia, Honorary Doctor of Letters, Macquarie University, Golden Wreath of Struga International Poetry Festival, Yugoslavia |
1990-1992 | Full-time writer, Category A Literature Board Fellowship and Treasurer, Australian Society of Authors |
1991-1997 | Executive Director, National Book Council |
1992- | Director, Copyright Agency Ltd |
1995 | Received Christopher Brennan Award, Fellowship of Australian Writers |
1997- | Professor of Creative Writing, University of Adelaide |
Item Descriptions
Class MS 5577. Early consignments,1970-1977
Class MS 5577. Addition, 10 July 1998
University of Sydney Theatre Workshop-Department of Indonesian and Malayan Studies production of 'Dhuang Hyang Kapulungan', 1981-1983 (File 30)
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)
Papers relating to Rosemary Sorensen and controversy over October 1994 issue of the 'Australian Book Review' (File 42)
Notes and correspondence relating to booklet 'How to Host a Successful Author Tour', 1994-1995 (File 45)
Correspondence with Alison Crook, State Library of New South Wales, 1992-93; Asia-Pacific Library Conference, 1995 (File 49)
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 |