Guide to the Papers of Arlene Chai

MS9677

National Library of Australia


Date completed: November 2002
Last updated:


Collection Summary

Creator:
Title: Papers of Arlene Chai
Date Range: 1993-2000
Collection Number: MS9677
Extent: 84cm (6 boxes)
Repository: National Library of Australia

Introduction

Scope and Content

The collection comprises papers relating to Chai's career as an author. There are edited typescripts of her four novels, research notes, correspondence with publishers and editors and folders of publicity material. Correspondents include Bryce Courteney, Elaine Markson Literary Agency, Headline Book Publishing, John Marsden, Pan Macmillan, Random House, Simon and Schuster and Julia Stiles.

Access

The collection is available for reference.

Provenance

The collection was acquired from Arlene Chai under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme in 2000.

Copying and Publishing

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissable 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Chai's published works include:

Chai, Arlene. The last time I saw my mother. Sydney, Random House, 1995.
Chai, Arlene. Eating fire and drinking water. Sydney, Random House, 1996.
Chai, Arlene. On the Goddess Rock. Sydney, Random House, 1998.
Chai, Arlene. Black hearts. Sydney, Random House Australia, 2000.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Arlene Chai, National Library of Australia, MS9677, [series and/or folder number]'.

Biographical Note

Arlene Chai was born in 1955 in the Philippines, to Chinese parents. She was educated in Manila, completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976. She began work as a copywriter for an advertising agency, eventually becoming a creative director at the Ted Bates agency in Manila. In 1982, Chai and her family migrated to Australia.

In 1985, Chai joined George Patterson Advertising in Sydney, where she remained for seven years. Encouraged to write by author and former work colleague Bryce Courteney, Chai published her first book in 1995. She now teaches English as a second language and writes in her free time.



Series List and Descriptions

Series 1 Correspondence, 1993-2000

The bulk of this series comprises business correspondence relating to the publication of Chai's books. There are letters of acceptance and rejection, details of advances, costs of production and responses from editors. Correspondents include representatives from Elaine Markson Literary Agency, Headline Book Publishing, Pan Macmillan, Random House and Simon and Schuster. There is one folder of personal correspondence, including letters from Bryce Courteney, John Marsden and Julia Stiles.

Folder 1 Correspondence relating to The last time I saw my mother, 1993-1997
Folder 2 Correspondence with publishers, , 1994-1998
Folder 3 Correspondence with US and UK publishing houses1995-1998
Folder 4 Correspondence relating to Eating fire and drinking water, 1995-1997
Folder 5 Personal correspondence, 1995-1999
Folder 6 Correspondence relating to On the Goddess Rock, 1997-1999
Folder 7 Correspondence and papers relating to Chai's participation as a speaker at the 2000 Melbourne Writers' Festival

Series 2 The last time I saw my mother, 1993-1998

Chai's acclaimed first novel, The last time I saw my mother, drew on her mother's experiences in Manila during the Japanese occupation. It was published by Random House, Sydney in 1995 and has since been released in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Contained in this series are research notes, edited drafts and readers' letters relating to the novel.

Folder 1 Research notes
Folder 2-3 First draft mailed to publishers. Includes synopsis and chapter highlights, 1993
Folder 4-6 Edited typescript, 1996
Folder 7 Readers' letters, 1996-1998

Series 3 Eating fire and drinking water, 1996-1997

This series comprises papers relating to Chai's second novel, Eating fire and drinking water, which focuses on life in Manila under the Marcos regime. It was published in Australia by Random House, Sydney, in 1996 and in the United States by Ballantine, New York in 1998. There are research notes, an edited draft of the novel and readers' letters relating to the novel.

Folder 1 Research notes on earthquakes
Folder 2-5 Edited typescript, 1996
Folder 6 Readers' letters, 1997

Series 4 On the Goddess Rock, 1997

Chai's novel, On the Goddess Rock, relates the story of a Chinese migrant from the Philippines who returns to the family's home in China. It was published by Random House, Sydney in 1998 and in 2001 was translated into German and publsihed by Ehrenwirth/Verlagsgruppe Lübbe. Contained in this series are working notes, editorial notes and an edited typescript relating to the novel.

Folder 1 Working notes and chronology, Editorial notes, 1997
Folder 2 Edited typescript, 1997

Series 5 Black hearts, 1999

Chai's psychological thriller, Black hearts, was published by Random House, Sydney in 2000. This series comprises editorial notes, edited typescripts and computer disks relating to the novel.

Folder 1 Editorial notes, Two computer disks containing text of final submission 1999
Folder 2 Edited typescript - first submission, 1999
Folder 3-6 Edited typescript - final submission, 1999

Series 6 Short stories, 1995-1999

This series comprises typescripts of short stories by Chai and a publication containing one of her stories.

Folder 1 'Jade of Courage', Australian Women's Weekly, May 1995
Folder 2 Gulangyu, nd Crossing the Bridge of Great Harmony, nd The fabric of dreams, 1998 In the fabulous fabric emporium, 1999

Series 7 Publicity material, 1995-2000

In this series are papers relating to Chai's career. There are two folders containing newspaper and magazine cuttings, publicity material for her books, publicity photographs and guides to literary events in which she was a participant. Chai also featured in Gateway to the games, a multicultural media kit produced for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Folder 1-2 Folders of publicity material, 1995-1998
Folder 3 Copy of Gateway to the games, 2000


Container List

Box Series Folder/Piece
1 1 1-7
1 2 1
2 2 2-7
2 3 1
3 3 2-6
3 4 1
4 4 2-4
4 5 1-2
5 5 3-6
5 6 1-2
6 7 1-3