Guide to the Papers of Gillian Bouras
MS 7993 et al
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Gillian Bouras
- Title
- Papers of Gillian Bouras
- Date Range
- 1963-2003
- Collection Number
- MS 7993 et al
- Extent
- 2.17 metres (11 boxes, 1 carton, 1 small box)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The collection contains a large amount of personal correspondence, which comprises letters written by Bouras to her family and the letters of family and friends to Bouras. Bouras' letters in particular provide an insight into the cultural adjustments required in settling into life in a traditional Greek village. There is also a small amount of business correspondence with publishers and her literary agent, Curtis Brown, concerning publication of her books and with the Council of Adult Education in Melbourne for which she has worked.
The remainder of the papers relate to Bouras' written works and include drafts, correspondence and reviews of her books, letters from readers, typescripts of published and unpublished stories and typescripts of papers she has presented at conferences. There is also a scrapbook containing letters, published short stories and articles for the period 1980-1988.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn649239).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Gillian Bouras, National Library of Australia, [class number, box number and series and/or file number]'.
Provenance
The collection was purchased in instalments from Bouras in 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2001.
Arrangement
The instalments of papers have been arranged into series by the Library.
Finding Aid Source(s)
Please note: This finding aid may comprise or contain descriptive information provided by donors, researchers and/or volunteers.
Collection Retrieval Advice
Please note: each consignment in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there may be multiple Box 1s). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.
Bibliography
Bouras' published works include: A foreign wife, Melbourne, McPhee Gribble/Penguin, 1986 A fair exchange, Melbourne, McPhee Gribble, 1991 Aphrodite and others, Melbourne, McPhee Gribble, 1994 A stranger here, Melbourne and New York, Penguin, 1996 Starting again, Melbourne, Penguin, 1999 Saving Christmas, Brisbane, University of Queensland Press, 2000
Biographical Note
Gillian Bouras was born in Melbourne in 1945 and from 1967 to 1980 worked as a secondary school teacher of English. In 1980 Bouras went with her husband, George Bouras, and her children to live in Greece.
Bouras published her first book, A foreign wife, in 1986. It is an autobiographical account of her life as a foreign wife in Greece, coming to terms with Greek culture and society. She has continued to explore the theme of cultural identity in further publications, both autobiographical and fictional, since this date.
In addition to her published books, Bouras has contributed short stories and articles to newspapers and journals, presented papers at conferences and participated in literary events. In 1981 she completed her thesis on the life of her grandfather for a Master of Education entitled School teacher in Victoria: the biography of Arthur John Hicks. She has also worked with the Council of Adult Education (CAE) in Melbourne, preparing discussion notes for CAE book groups.
Bouras divides her time between London and Greece.
Item Descriptions
Class MS 7993. Original consignment
Contains a large amount of personal correspondence, which comprises original letters written by Bouras to her family and the letters of family and friends to Bouras. Bouras' letters in particular provide an insight into the cultural adjustments required in settling into life in a traditional Greek village. There is also a small amount of business correspondence with publishers and her literary agent, Curtis Brown, concerning publication of her books and with the Council of Adult Education in Melbourne for which she has worked. The remainder of the papers relate to Bouras' written works and include drafts, correspondence and reviews of her books, letters from readers, typescripts of published and unpublished stories and typescripts of papers she has presented at conferences. There is also a scrapbook containing letters, published short stories and articles for the period 1980-1988.
Contained in 9 boxes.
Series 1. Personal correspondence, 1963-2001
This series comprises original letters written by Bouras to her family and letters to Bouras from family and friends. The letters written by Bouras document her experiences as an Australian migrant adjusting to Greek society and contain domestic news, accounts of children's activities, travel, weather, landscape and Greek history, customs and politics. Bouras' academic and literary pursuits receive lesser attention. Also included are letters from Bouras' grandfather, Arthur John Hicks, concerning country life, education and recollections of the University of Melbourne during the 1920s and 1930s. Other correspondents include Nance Donkin, Lesleyanne Hawthorne, Jaqueline Ganitzer (sister), Margery Hicks (mother), Stephen Hicks (brother), William Hicks (father) and Helmut and Annemarie Pincus.
Series 2. Business correspondence, 1976-2000
This series comprises business correspondence relating to the editing and publishing of Bouras' books, reprints of her work, articles for publication, appearances at literary events and her work preparing discussion notes for Council of Adult Education (CAE), Melbourne, book groups. There are letters from readers and correspondence with her literary agent, Curtis Brown, and relating to research for her Master of Education thesis entitled School teacher in Victoria: the biography of Arthur John Hicks. Correspondents include Australian Literary Management, The Bulletin, Imago, Omnibus Books, Penguin Australia and the University of Queensland Press.
Series 3. Journals 1975-1981
This series contains two journals kept by Bouras, which document her early trips to Greece.
Series 4. Photographs
Labelled negatives of photographs of Bouras' father, William John Hicks, and his sister, Violet Fay, c1922 and scenes of Strath Creek, Victoria.
Series 5. Scrapbook, 1980-88
A scrapbook containing letters, published short stories and articles by Bouras, reviews of her books, cuttings relating to Greek culture and invitations to events.
Series 6. A foreign wife, 1984-1994
Bouras' first published book is an autobiographical account of her experiences moving to live in a small Greek village with her husbands family. Entitled A foreign wife, it was published by McPhee Gribble/Penguin, Melbourne in 1986. Papers in this series include edited manuscript and typescript, correspondence with publishers and letters from readers.
Series 7. A fair exchange, 1990-1992
A fair exchange continues Bouras' autobiographical account of her life in Greece, and was published by McPhee Gribble, Melbourne in 1991. Included in this series are notes, a draft manuscript, edited typescript and letters from readers.
Series 8. Aphrodite and others, 1992-1996
This series comprises papers relating to Bouras' book Aphrodite and others, published by McPhee Gribble, Melbourne in 1994. Included are a draft manuscript and letters from readers
Series 9. A stranger here, 1995-1996
A stranger here is Bouras' semi-autobiographical novel published by Penguin, Melbourne and New York in 1996. Papers in this series include correspondence with Penguin regarding publication, notes, an edited typescript and reviews.
Series 10. Starting again, 1999
Contained in this series are papers relating to Bouras' autobiographical book Starting again, published by Penguin, Melbourne in 1999. Included is correspondence with Penguin and Curtis Brown and reviews. (1 folder)
Series 11. Saving Christmas, 1997-2000
Saving Christmas, a children's novel incorporating Greek mythology and culture, was published by the University of Queensland Press, Brisbane in 2000. This series contains correspondence with Penguin, University of Queensland Press and Curtis Brown regarding publication, edited manuscript and typescript, edited proofs and reviews.
Series 12. Other writings, 1996-2000
This series contains drafts of published and unpublished short stories by Bouras, papers presented at conferences and a review by Bouras of Kate Greenwood's book Medea.
Class Acc04-130. Consignment added 2004
Comprises correspondence with Dr Gwyneth M. Dow and Hume Dow. Also, a small selection of letters from The Age and various writers.
Contained in 1 carton.
Class Acc04-172. Consignment added 2004
Comprises correspondence from D.A. Rayney, Kate Grenville, Hilary McPhee, John McLaren and others.
Contained in 1 box.