Guide to the Papers of Judah Waten
MS 4536
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Waten, Judah, 1911-1985
- Title
- Papers of Judah Waten
- Date Range
- 1912 - 1985
- Collection Number
- MS 4536
- Extent
- 7.25 metres (39 boxes + 2 folio 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 papers comprise family correspondence, general correspondence, handwritten and typed drafts (including the original sketches for many of his stories and the drafts of three novels which were never completed), notebooks of articles and book reviews, newspaper cuttings, invitations, printed material and other papers. There are also papers relating to Waten's membership of the Literature Board of the Australian Council for the Arts, his Presidency of the Melbourne Centre of International P.E.N. papers on his membership of the Communist Party of Australia and Socialist Party of Australia.
Correspondents include Alice Waten, Alan Marshall, Elizabeth Harrower, Christina Stead, Derek Whitelock, Oksana Krugerskaya, Kylie Tennant, Katharine Susannah Prichard, Nettie and Vance Palmer, Hal Porter, Beatrice Davis, Geoffrey Dutton, Frank Dalby Davison, Tom Inglis Moore, Kenneth Slessor, Manning Clark, Dymphna Cusack, Frank Hardy, Frank Sargeson, Pierre Besses, Michael Costigan, Nancy Cato and Clem Christesen.
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-vn1837697).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Judah Waten, National Library of Australia, MS 4536, [series /or file number]'.
Provenance
The Judah Waten Papers were purchased from Judah Waten and his family in six instalments between 1974 and 1986.
Related Materials
Oral history recordings of interviews with Judah Waten are held at ORAL TRC 344 and ORAL DeB 92. A speech given by Waten at the funeral of Nettie Palmer in 1964 is held at MS 1691.
Biographical Note
Judah Leon Waten was born in Odessa, Russia on 29 July 1911 of Russian-Jewish parents. He came to Western Australia with his parents in 1914. He was educated at Christian Brothers' College, Perth, University High School, Melbourne after his family moved to Melbourne in 1926. Waten remained in Melbourne for the remainder of his life except when travelling in other parts of Australia, England and Europe.
Waten's first significant literary success was the appearance of a short story in the 1946 Coast to coast collection of Australian short stories. This was the first of his series of works about Jewish migrant life in Australia. Waten published seven novels, a play, a film script, a book of short stories, a short history of the 1930s in Australia and a semi-autobiographical travel book. He also published many short stories and articles which appeared in magazines and anthologies in Australia and overseas.
Waten was prominent in many Australian literary organisations including the Realist Writers group, P.E.N. the Fellowship of Australian Writers and was closely involved with overseas writers groups especially in the U.S.S.R. In 1952, 1970 and 1975 he was awarded Commonwealth Literary Fellowships. The earlier grant was surrounded by political controversy arising from his membership of the Communist Party of Australia. In 1973-1974 he was a member of the Literature Board of the Australian Council. Waten often contributed articles and reviews to Australian and overseas newspapers and lectures on Australian literature and political and cultural issues.
Waten married Hyrell McKinnon and had one daughter, Alice ("Pip"). He died in Melbourne on 29 July 1985.
Item Descriptions
Series 1. Family correspondence, 1956-1985
The series contains letters written by Judah Waten to his family and by Alice Waten to her parents. There are also files of correspondence of Hyrell Waten and letters from Waten's sister Fanny.
Files 1-3 only are indexed in the attached Correspondence Index (under the 'Related Documentation tab').
Correspondence consisting mainly of letters and postcards from Waten's daughter, Alice ('Pip'), written while she was a music student in Russia, 1956-1972 (File 1-3)
There are also letters and postcards written to Alice by her friends and letters relating to her, sent to her parents by people such as Sir Bernard Heinze and Yehudi Menuhin. In addition, these files contain a few letters from Waten to his wife, Hyrell, written while he was overseas, a few letters from Waten's sister, Fanny.
Series 2. General correspondence, 1944-1985
The general correspondence of Judah Waten has been organised into two sequences. The first sequence (Files 1-15), dating from 1944 until 1974, has been arranged chronologically with undated letters placed last and fully indexed in the attached Correspondence Index (under the 'Related Documentation tab'). Waten's close involvement in the Australian literary scene is indicated by the predominance of letters from fellow writers discussing Waten's works and literature in general. The sequence is also notable for the large number of letters from overseas writers, publishers and writers groups, especially from friends in the Soviet Union. The principal correspondents include Alan Marshall, Elizabeth Harrower, Christina Stead, Derek Whitelock, Oksana Krugerskaya, Kylie Tennant and Clem Christesen.
The second sequence (Files 16-39), dating from 1947-1985, contains material added to the collection between 1979 and 1986. It has not been indexed. The files include some carbon copies of letters by Waten including Waten's letter of resignation from the Communist Party of Australia (27 May 1972) a letter from Arthur Calwell (16 March 1973). Other correspondents include Pierre Besses, Geoffrey Blainey, Wilfred Burchett, Michael Costigan (Australian Council), Hilde Eisler, Saul Factor, Norma Ferris, Jean Gittens, Elizabeth Harrower, Jim Kable, Brian Kiernan, Oksana Krugerskaya, Charles Lavell, Serge Liberman, Alan Marshall, Brian McKinlay, Ward McNally, Anatoly Melnikov, Rosanna Rosini, Ken Scarlett, Eric Jean Stark, Christina Stead, George Warhurst, Mena Weider.
Series 3. Drafts of published works, 1918-1981
Waten kept many of the handwritten early and later drafts of his published novels, short stories, film script and plays and they have been placed together in this series. The drafts are written mainly in exercise books and are sometimes accompanied by later typescript drafts and galley proofs. Many of the drafts are extensively altered and corrected, especially those that contain the original sketches for his works. Some of the files also contain correspondence, photographs and other papers.
See also Series 5 for notebooks containing drafts of published works.
The series is arranged in two sequences. Files 1-32 from the original consignment and have been item numbered. Files 33-68 are additions to the collection received between 1979 and 1986. There is some overlap between the two sequences.
Bottle-O!, 1973 (File 1)
Children's stories published by Cassell Australia in 1973. Contains two typescripts and a copyright certificate. [Items 1-30] See also Series 5/8.
The depression years, 1969 (File 2)
History written for the 'Australia since the camera' series and published by Cheshire in 1972. Includes notebooks containing manuscript drafts and notes, a corrected typescript, loose notes, letter 'Notes for Mr Judah Waten re unemployment in Queensl' by A. Macdonald [Items 31-64]. See also Files 33-34 and Series 5/2.
Distant l, 1961 (File 3)
Novel published in 1964 by the Australasian Book Society. Includes notebooks and a cutting [Items 65-67]
From Odessa to Odessa, 1962 (File 4-6)
Account of a visit to the Soviet Union published by Cheshire in 1969. Includes notebooks containing manuscript drafts and notes, a corrected typescript, photographs of Mrs Gorki and others (1962) galley proofs [Items 68-76] See also Series 5/2
Season of youth, n.d. (File 8-10)
Novel published in 1966 by Cheshire. Includes manuscript and typescript drafts [Items 78-80] See also File 35.
Shares in murder, n.d. (File 11-13)
Novel published in 1957 by the Australasian Book Society. Handwritten and typescript drafts including one annotated by Vance Palmer [Items 81-102]
So far no further, 1958-1970 (File 14-22)
Novel published in 1971 by Wren. Includes handwritten typescript drafts, an unfinished synopsis, galley proofs, a cover proof and some files of cuttings and articles on student politics that were used by Waten when working on the novel, 1958-70 [Items 103-330]
Three generations (film script), 1973 (File 23)
Film script based on a short story of the same name. Manuscript and typescript drafts, 1973 [Items 331-333] See also Series 5, Files 9-10 and 13 for exercise books containing related notes and drafts.
'Three generations and other stories' (File 24)
Corrected typescript of selected short stories. Includes short stories published in Love and rebellion Alien son. [Item 334]
Time of conflict, n.d. (File 25-29)
Novel published in 1961 by the Australasian Book Society. Includes manuscript and typescript drafts and synopsis [Items 335-343] See also Files 36-37 for issues of Neue Berliner illustrierte containing serial episodes of Time of conflict.
The Unbending, 1952-1953 (File 30-32)
Novel published in 1954 by the Australasian Book Society. Includes corrected typescripts and loose manuscript sketches [Items 344-397].
Issues of Neue Berliner illustrierte containing serial episodes of Time of conflict, 1966 (File 36-37)
See also Files 25-29.
Scenes of revolutionary life, 1945-1981 (File 38-57)
Waten's last novel published in 1982 by Angus and Robertson. Includes newspaper cuttings, 1945-1981, notes for novel, four manuscript drafts and six typescript drafts. See also Series 5/16.
Alien son, 1952 (File 58)
Stories of childhood experiences published by Angus and Robertson in 1952. Contains typescript drafts of stories. See also File 24 and Series 5/16.
Love and rebellion, 1956-1977 (File 59-60)
Autobiographical short stories published by Macmillan in 1978. Includes typescripts of stories and a corrected typescript marked up for typesetting. See also File 24.
Classic Australian short stories, 1972-1974 (File 61-62)
Anthology edited by Judah Waten and Stephen Murray-Smith and published by Wren in 1974. Includes draft introduction, biographical details on contributors, correspondence with contributors and Stephen Murray-Smith, 1972-1974 and printed versions of stories not selected in the publication.
Series 4. Drafts of unfinished works, 1935-1982
This series contains handwritten drafts and typescripts for three novels which were never published. They were tentatively called 'A civil service novel' (items 1-3), 'A Jewish novel' (items 4-44) 'Walhalla' (items 145-321). There is also a file of newspaper clippings and photographs used as research material for the novel 'Walhalla'.
Additions include a typescript of 'Looking at the Soviet Union', a collection of essays, articles and reviews on aspects of Soviet life and culture. The volume was never published, although some of the pieces were published in newspapers and journals. There is also a file of manuscripts of short stories, poetry and essays collected for a proposed publication 'Southern stories no. 2' containing pieces by E.J. Brady, J. B. McDougall, Alan Marshall, P. Goldhar, Dal Stivens, Brian Fitzpatrick, Jossel Bergner, Frank Sargeson, Phil Freedman, Stan Robe and others, 1935-1940 (6 files).
Series 5. Notebooks, 1967-1985
The major part of this series comprises exercise books containing handwritten drafts of articles, book reviews for newspapers and notes for talks. Also in these notebooks are drafts of short stories and some novels, namely, Bottle-O!, The depression years, chapter 1 of Odessa to Odessa Three generations (film script).
The dates of the book reviews are approximate.
Drafts of 'Marxism and Australian literature' (26p.), 'Australian literature in the last twenty years - the Patrick White era' (16p.), 'A scholar's dream' (23p.), 'Bitter freedom' (17p.), 'Decadent youth' (28p.) (File 1)
Draft including 'Art and communism' (25p.), 'Frank Dalby Davison' (7p.), 'Australian literature in 1968', 'A neglected writer', 'Art and the Communist Party', 'All men are equal', chapter one of Odessa to Odessa (18p.), 'History of the 30s' (p.44-63) book reviews, 1968 (File 2)
'Alien son', 'An Australian at the Moscow Conservatorium' (11p.), 'A sentimental visit', 'A tribute to Ilya Ehrenburg' book reviews, 1967 (File 4)
'The value of libraries', 'Katharine Susannah Prichard and D.H. Lawrence', 'Waten at the Adelaide Festival', 'Knowing Alan Marshall' book reviews, 1967-1969 (File 5)
Drafts including 'Clem Christesen's work', 'Australian literature 1967', 'The Australian novel today', 'Zionism and the Middle East' book reviews, 1969-1971 (File 6)
Drafts including 'Dickens the novelist', 'Dickens- popular and great', 'My work as a writer', 'Vance Palmer' book reviews, 1970 (File 7)
Notes for film script 'Three generations', drafts including 'Arthur Calwell: a memoir' book reviews, 1972 (File 9)
Drafts including 'Henry Lawson', 'Three generations', a piece on the literary critic Arthur Phillips, book reviews, 1971-1972 (File 10)
Notes and drafts from Waten's visits to the Soviet Union including 'Some impressions on re-visiting Moscow', 'Revisiting the Lenin Library', 'Some thoughts on Victory Day', 'English teaching in the Soviet Union' 'Making equality for women a reality' (File 12)
Also includes lecture notes and written questions directed at Waten at a talk in Moscow.
'Novel', 'A visit to socialist Cuba' (1977), 'Who violates human rights', notes and drafts for the film script 'Three generations' reviews, 1973-1976 (File 13)
'The Soviet Union and the Jews', 'The emergence of a national style' and reviews, 1973-1978 (File 14)
'Solzhenitsyn and Whitlam', 'Mikhael Sholokhov', 'Australian literature in 1974', 'Theatre in Australia in 1974', 'Australian films in 1974', pieces on Anton Chekhov and R. Palme Dutt, 'A strange pair', other drafts and reviews, 1974-1976 (File 15)
'Australian literature in 1976', a synopsis of Scenes of revolutionary life, 'A visit to socialist Cuba' (1977) reviews, 1976-1978 (File 16)
Notebook (2 of 4) including 'Jewish contribution to Australian culture', 'Australian literature in Europe' reviews, 1973-1980 (File 18)
Notebook (3 of 4) including pieces on Manning Clark and Alan Marchall and reviews, 1975-1976 (File 19)
Drafts including 'Impressions of a visit to several national republics'(15p.), 'Moscow book exhibition' (10p.), a piece on the 60th anniversary of the Russian Revolution (14p.), c. 1978, 'Human rights', 'Socialist countries on the rise', 'Visiting the G.D.R.', 'Russian dissidents', 'Two sides: a short story' (14p.) book reviews, 1978 (File 21)
Exercise books containing drafts of articles on Bertold Brecht, 'Two natures: a short story', book reviews, 1979 and other drafts. Also contains a pamphlet Australia and Russia by Frank Dalby Davison (1941, 3p.) a newspaper clipping of 5 June 1939 on Betty Rol's experiences in Russia, 1939-1979 (File 22)
Series 6. Newspaper cuttings, 1941-1985
Newspaper cuttings and cutting books containing articles, reviews and stories by Waten, reviews of works by Waten, articles on Waten, and cuttings collected by Waten on various subjects.
Cutting books containing reviews written by Waten and a monthly column 'Culture and life' written by Judah and Hyrell Waten in The Socialist, 1967-1985 (File 1-2)
Issues of Neue Berliner illustrierte containing serial episodes of 'Einer weiss mehr' by Waten [Folio], 1962 (File 6-8)
Series 7. Australian Council for the Arts Literature Board (CLOSED until 1 Jan. 2005), 1969-1984
Waten was a member of the Literature Board of the Australian Council for the Arts in 1973-1974. The papers include correspondence with the Literature Board, 1978-84; minutes, agenda and other papers of Board meetings (1974), newspaper clippings, material on fellowships and Public Lending Right, applications for and correspondence on filling the position of Administrator.
Papers including correspondence, applications for and correspondence on filling the position of Administrator, 1969-1984 (File 1)
[Missing]
Literature Board and Council meeting papers: Literature Board meetings no. 1-26, Mar. 1973-June 1974 (File 2)
Literature Board and Council meeting papers: Meetings no. 20 and 21, together with applications for the position of Administrator, 1974 and material on Public Lending Right, 5-6 Feb. 1974 (File 3-4)
Literature Board and Council meeting papers: Materials for press conference, Adelaide Festival and meetings, Mar. 1974 (File 7)
Literature Board and Council meeting papers: Meeting no. 24, 18 Apr. 1974, Council meeting no. 11, 3 May 1974 and other papers, 1973-1974 (File 8)
Literature Board and Council meeting papers: Meetings no. 26 and 27 and applications for Board membership, 16-17 May 1974 (File 10)
Series 8. International P.E.N., 1974-1981
Judah Waten was President of the Melbourne Centre of International P.E.N. Australia in 1977-1979.
The series comprises correspondence, Melbourne Centre committee meeting papers, cuttings, conference papers (Sydney, 1977 and Rio de Janeiro, 1979), newsletters, brochures and other records (3 files).
Comprises 3 files.
Series 9. Papers on Communism and Socialism, 1921-1984
Papers assembled by Waten mainly relating to his membership of and interest in the Communist Party of Australia and the Socialist Party of Australia. The papers comprise pamphlets, journals, newsletters, resolutions, agenda and minutes of meetings, newspapers cuttings, notes and other papers.
Waten resigned from the Communist Party of Australia in 1972 (see letter of resignation at Series 2/18). See also Series 12 for further Left publications.
Series 10. Programs and invitations, 1955-1984
Programs and invitations for events attended by the Watens.
Series 11. Miscellaneous papers, 1916-1985
Writings by others, notes, business cards, photographs, a file of Hyrell Waten papers containing cuttings, correspondence relating to her career in education and other papers.
Writings by others including R. Palme Dutt, Christa Wolf, Wole Soyinka and Morris Seroff, c.1945-1966 (File 3)
Series 12. Printed material, 1935-1954
Printed material collected by Waten including literary publications, Left publications and publications on topics such as Aborigines, the Eureka Stockade and the Spanish Civil War. Includes issues of Left review (1935-1938) containing contributions by Australian authors including Alan Marshall and Jack Lindsay, issues of The Austrovert (c.1938 or 1939) The Realist writer (1952-1954) publications in Japanese and Russian (9 files).
Container List
| Box | Series | File(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1-8 |
| 2 | 2 | 1-5 |
| 3 | 2 | 6-11 |
| 4 | 2 | 12-18 |
| 5 | 2 | 19-26 |
| 6 | 2 | 27-33 |
| 7 | 2 | 34-39 |
| 8 | 3 | 1-5 |
| 9 | 3 | 6-10 |
| 10 | 3 | 11-13 |
| 11 | 3 | 14-18 |
| 12 | 3 | 19-24 |
| 13 | 3 | 25-28 |
| 14 | 3 | 29-31 |
| 15 | 3 | 32-36 |
| 16 | 3 | 37-42 |
| 17 | 3 | 43-47 |
| 18 | 3 | 48-51 |
| 19 | 3 | 52-57 |
| 20 | 3 | 58-64 |
| 21 | 3 | 65-68 |
| 21 | 4 | 1-3 |
| 22 | 4 | 4-5 |
| 22 | 5 | 1-3 |
| 23 | 5 | 4-10 |
| 24 | 5 | 11-16 |
| 25 | 5 | 17-22 |
| 26 | 5 | 23-25 |
| 26 | 6 | 1-2 |
| 27 | 6 | 3-5, 9-10 |
| 28 | 6 | 11-12,14-17 |
| 29 | 6 | 18-25 |
| 30 | 6 | 26-33 |
| 31 | 6 | 34-38 |
| 31 | 8 | 1-3 |
| 32 | 7 | 2-8 |
| 33 | 7 | 9-16 |
| 34 | 7 | 17-22 |
| 35 | 9 | 1-7 |
| 36 | 9 | 8-11 |
| 36 | 10 | 1-3 |
| 37 | 10 | 4 |
| 37 | 11 | 1-8 |
| 38 | 12 | 1-6 |
| 39 | 12 | 7-9 |
| Folio Box 1 | 6 | 6-8 |
| Folio Box 2 | 6 | 13 |