Guide to the Papers of Robert Gray

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MS Acc05.020; MS Acc11.066; MS Acc17.076.MS Acc23.090

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: January 2024

Collection Summary

Creator
Gray, Robert
Title
Papers of Robert Gray
Date Range
1975-c.2006
Collection Number
MS Acc05.020; MS Acc11.066; MS Acc17.076.MS Acc23.090
Extent
1.95 metres (13 ms boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Special Collections (Manuscripts)

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The collection comprises drafts of the poems for Robert Gray's book Afterimages and drafts of other poems as well. There are proofs for Grass script: selected earlier poems, published in the United Kingdom in 2001, that show many re-workings not incorporated into any edition in Australia. Also, proofs for Afterimages and revised proofs for some reviews Gray wrote for The Australian. The collection also includes correspondence, ca. 1999-2004.

MS Acc11.066 comprises Gray's writing processes and his interactions with other Australian and international poets and painters. The papers include correspondence, a notebook, manuscripts and multiple annotated typescripts for several of Gray's works. The works are: The land I came through last; Afterimages; Nameless earth; and a volume of his collected poems. Correspondents include Christopher Koch, Peter Goldsworthy, Kevin Hart, Les Murray, Dennis O'Driscoll and Jan Zwicky. In addition, there is a letter from Patrick White, in which White names Gray, along with Bruce Beaver, as one of the two best poets in Australia.

MS Acc17.076 comprises correspondence with Helen Garner, Kevin Hart and others, together with drafts of Robert Gray's poems.

MS Acc23.090 comprises of 10 creative journals containing quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational, cuttings of publications, lists of words to use in his work, fragments, musings and vignettes. It also includes correspondence with Australian poet Kevin Hart, Australian artist Ted Hillyer, condolence letter on the death of John Olsen, fan mail, notes on poems in NSW school curriculum and draft poems.

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-vn3547153).

Conditions Governing Use

Conditions for copying and publishing of this collection may apply, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn3547153).

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Robert Gray, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file/item number(s)]'.

Finding Aid Source(s)

Please note: This finding aid contains descriptive information provided by donors, researchers and/or volunteers.

Collection Retrieval Advice

Please note: each class in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there are multiple Box 1's). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.

Item Descriptions

Class MS Acc05.020. Original Consignment

Drafts of the poems for Robert Gray's book Afterimages and drafts of other poems as well. There are proofs for Grass script: selected earlier poems, published in the United Kingdom in 2001, that show many re-workings not incorporated into any edition in Australia. Also, proofs for Afterimages and revised proofs for some reviews Gray wrote for The Australian. The collection also includes correspondence, ca. 1999-2004.

Comprises 2 boxes.

Class MS Acc11.066. Consignment received 2011

Papers reflecting Gray's writing processes and his interactions with other Australian and international poets and painters. The papers include correspondence, a notebook, manuscripts and multiple annotated typescripts for several of Gray's works. The works are: The land I came through last; Afterimages; Nameless earth; and a volume of his collected poems (to be published in 2011). Correspondents include Christopher Koch, Peter Goldsworthy, Kevin Hart, Les Murray, Dennis O'Driscoll and Jan Zwicky. In addition, there is a letter from Patrick White, in which White names Gray, along with Bruce Beaver, as one of the two best poets in Australia.

Comprises 6 boxes.

Series. The land I came through last(2008), Giramondo

Entire manuscripts of Gray's memoir, in all seven rewritings. The name changed whilst being written, eg 'The waters under the earth', 'A light in the porch', 'Life with the Sergeant-Major' etc., c.2006 (File) - Box 1
Published copy of the memoir, which won the CAL (Copyright Agency Ltd)/Waverley Library Award and earned Gray a Doctor of Creative Arts degree from University of Technology Sydney (UTS). (File) - Box 1
Memoir - annotated typescripts (File) - Box 5
Memoir - annotated typescripts (File) - Box 3
Manuscript notebook (File) - Box 3

Series. Afterimages(2001,2003) Duffy and Snellgrove

Annotated typescripts of the published book of poetry (File) - Box 2

Series. Collected poems

Revisions of all Gray's poetry, through its entire course, for forthcoming 'Collected poems', to be published 2011 by British publisher, Carcanet, and in Australia by the John Leonard Press. Worksheets are mostly not in their published order. (File) - Box 3

Series. Nameless earth(2006), Carcanet UK

Manuscripts and annotated typescripts for a published book of poetry, c.2005 (File) - Box 4
Page proofs of a Dutch/English selection of my poems with rewritings (File) - Box 4

Series. Correspondence

Letters from various correspondents, some of them printed-out emails, all relevant to Gray's work, writers identified by Gray (list in Box 6 but also listed below)., c.2001-2011 (File) - Box 6
Ted Hillyer - painter (File) - Box 6
Michael Hulse - academic at University of Warwick, UK; poet (File) - Box 6
Roo Borson - Canadian poet (File) - Box 6
John Olsen - painter (File) - Box 6
Cynthia Jeffreys - painter (File) - Box 6
John Leonard - publisher, editor, anthologist (File) - Box 6
Kevin Hart - poet and academic (in US) (File) - Box 6
Stephen McInerney - poet (File) - Box 6
Dennis O'Driscoll - Irish poet (File) - Box 6
Stephen Edgar - poet (File) - Box 6
Patrick White - novelist (one letter that refers to Gray, handed on by the recipient) (File) - Box 6
Martin Harrison - poet and academic (File) - Box 6
Robert Bolton - arts editor of the Financial Review (File) - Box 6
Anne Ferguson - sculptor (File) - Box 6
Harry Cummins - English poet (File) - Box 6
John Foulcher - poet (File) - Box 6
Susan Wyndham - arts editor of the Sydney Morning Herald (File) - Box 6
Emma Lew - poet (File) - Box 6
Rosamund Bartlett - translator and biographer of Chekhov, Tolstoy and other Russians (File) - Box 6
Jeffrey Wainwright - English poet and academic (File) - Box 6
Jennifer Compton - poet and essayist (File) - Box 6
Helen Garner - novelist and prose writer (File) - Box 6
Lois Downing - Gray's half-sister (File) - Box 6
Barry Hill - poet and prose writer (File) - Box 6
Joachim Sartorius - German poet, head of the Berlin Literatur Festival (File) - Box 6
Dr S Yamamoto - president, Meiji University (File) - Box 6
Lars Ahlstrom - Swedish translator (File) - Box 6
Richard Dove - translator into German (File) - Box 6
Maarten Elzinga - Dutch translator (File) - Box 6
Hamish Ironsides - English poet (File) - Box 6
Les Murray - poet (File) - Box 6
Christopher (Chris) Koch - novelist (File) - Box 6
John Mateer - poet (File) - Box 6
Ed Campion - prose writer (File) - Box 6
Maria Cristina Biggio - Italian translator (File) - Box 6
Mike Heald - broadcaster and poet (File) - Box 6
Craig Sherborne - poet (File) - Box 6
Susan Stewart - American poet and academic (File) - Box 6
Jan Zwicky - Canadian poet (File) - Box 6

Class MS Acc17.076. Consignment received 2017

The MS Acc17.076 instalment comprises of correspondence with Helen Garner, Kevin Hart and others, together with drafts of Robert Gray's poems.

Class MS Acc23.090. Consignment received 2023

The MS Acc23.090 instalment comprises of 10 creative journals containing quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational, cuttings of publications, lists of words to use in his work, fragments, musings and vignettes. It also includes correspondence with Australian poet Kevin Hart, Australian artist Ted Hillyer, condolence letter on the death of John Olsen, fan mail, notes on poems in NSW school curriculum and draft poems.

Correspondence, n.d. (File 1) - Box 1 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes letters, cards, postcards and two colour photographs.

Photographs - Robert Gray, n.d. (Items 1.1-2) - Box 1 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes two colour photographs.

Correspondence and notes, 2000s (File 2) - Box 1 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes miscellaneous correspondence, handwritten notes, poems including "Dharma Vehicle", "Impromptus" and notes by Robert Gray on his HSC poems.

Poems - Prose, n.d. (File 3) - Box 1 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and prose such as "On the Painter Giorgio Morandi", "The Latter Days", "Byron Bay: Winter", "The Panther" and one black and white photograph of Robert Gray. Includes drafts of poems and prose with annotations.

Photograph - Robert Gray, n.d. (Item 3.1) - Box 1 (MS Acc23.090)

One black and white photograph.

Correspondence - Notes - Articles, 2000s (File 4) - Box 1 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes correspondence and handwritten notes and chapter and article extracts on Australian poetry.

Notes - Poems - Articles, n.d. (File 5) - Box 1 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes article on "Christianity and Positivism", poems and prose such as "House by the Shore", "The Visit", "Shack and Pine Tree", "Impromptus", "Giorgio Morandi", "Dharma Vehicle" and others. Includes drafts of poems and prose with annotations.

Poems - Prose, 2000s (File 6) - Box 1 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and prose such as "The Latter Days", "Byron Bay: Winter", "Shack and Pine Tree", "The Visit" and others. Also includes notes and remarks by Robert Gray on his poems for the HSC.

Notes, n.d. (File 7) - Box 1 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes notes by Robert Gray on his poetry and poetry in general.

Ball State University - Honours certificate, n.d. (Item 8) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Journal, September 1975 (Item 9) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and notes on poems. Also includes quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational, cuttings of publications, lists of words to use in his work, fragments, musings and vignettes.

Collins Notebook, 10 June 1986 (Item 10) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and notes on poems. Also includes quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational, cuttings of publications, lists of words to use in his work, fragments, musings and vignettes.

Creative journal, 28 May 2002 (Item 11) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and notes on poems. Also includes quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational and lists of words to use in his work.

Creative journal, 26 June 1983 (Item 12) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and notes on poems. Also includes quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational and lists of words to use in his work.

Atoma notebook, 16 November 1997 (Item 13) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and notes on poems. Also includes quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational and lists of words to use in his work.

Creative journal, 20 January 1999 (Item 14) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and notes on poems. Also includes quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational and lists of words to use in his work.

Creative journal, n.d. (Item 15) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and notes on poems. Also includes quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational and lists of words to use in his work.

Creative journal, 25 April 1985 (Item 16) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and notes on poems. Also includes quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational and lists of words to use in his work.

Creative journal, n.d. (Item 17) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and notes on poems. Also includes quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational and lists of words to use in his work.

Creative journal, February 1978 (Item 18) - Box 2 (MS Acc23.090)

Includes poems and notes on poems. Also includes quotes from poetry and philosophy, lists of poems and philosophers that Robert found inspirational, cuttings of publications, lists of words to use in his work, fragments, musings and vignettes.


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