Guide to the Papers of Sue Woolfe
MS 9812
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Woolfe, Sue
- Title
- Papers of Sue Woolfe
- Date Range
- 1990-2000
- Collection Number
- MS 9812
- Extent
- 1.65 metres (11 ms boxes + 8 sound/av carriers)
- Language of Materials
-
English
English - Repository
- Special Collections (Manuscripts)
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The collection contains papers relating to Woolfe's novel Leaning towards infinity: how my mother's apron unfolds into my life which was published by Vintage Australia in 1996. The book was later published in the United States, the United Kingdom and Holland. Leaning towards infinity was written over a period of several years and the papers comprise correspondence with publishers, editors and colleagues; research notes; early ideas, edited drafts and proofs.
The novel evolved from a play of the same name, written by Woolfe and first performed in the United States in 1995. There are papers relating to the development of the script and to productions of the play in the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn679886).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Sue Woolfe, National Library of Australia, MS 9812, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers were purchased from Sue Woolfe in 2000.
Arrangement
Woolfe has organised the papers into titled Files and the order of the contents of the Files had been retained by the Library. The papers have been listed by box and File number, using Woolfe's File titles for the description.
Biographical Note
Sue Woolfe was born in Sydney and spent her childhood in Springwood in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. She was educated at Sydney University and the University of New England. Woolfe's writing career began when she wrote the textbook Language and literature. The money she earned from this allowed her to set up a film business, which produced some forty documentaries for television. Woolfe moved on to writing film scripts and eventually novels, including Painted woman and Leaning towards infinity: how my mother's apron unfolds into my life, which won the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction in 1996. Her latest book, The secret cure was published in 2003.
Sue Woolfe lives in Sydney where she is a lecturer in the Department of English at Sydney University.
Item Descriptions
Class MS 9812. Original Consignment
Personal letters relating to Leaning towards infinity…, together with letters from readers, 1991-1999. Correspondents include Robert Dessaix and Peter Goldsworthy. (File 1) - Box 1
Correspondence while in Greece, 1992. Correspondents include Kate Llewellyn and Kate Grenville. (not sighted February 2010) (File 2) - Box 1
Correspondence with Random House, 1995-1997. Correspondents include Amanda Loughrey. (File 3) - Box 1
Reviews of the book – Australia, Singapore, United States and United Kingdom, 1996-1997 (File 5) - Box 1
Correspondence with United States publishers Faber & Faber and Farrar, Straus & Giroux relating to Woolfe's promotional tour, 1997-1998 (File 6-7) - Box 1
Correspondence with writing colleagues. Correspondents include Roger McDonald and Jack Dann, 1997-1998 (File 6-7) - Box 1
Correspondence regarding the Women's Press (UK) publication, 1997-1999. Includes the transcript of a conversation between Woolfe and Michele Field, nd (File 8-9) - Box 2
Correspondence with Vassallucci Publishers regarding the Netherlands edition, 1998-1999 (File 10) - Box 2
Seven audio cassettes (c1998) relating to the book, c1998 (File 12) - Box 2
Including radio interviews of Woolfe on WSUI Public Radio, Iowa City, Iowa (27 Apr 1998) and WAMU America University Radio, Washington (27 Aug 1998)
Leaning Towards Infinity, Radio Interviews, 1998? (Item NLA.MS-SAV004992) - Cassette-Box 285
1 item, Sony HF 90, Compact cassette tapeLeaning Towards Infinity, Radio Interviews, Public Interest 8/27/98 HR 2, 28/08/1998 (Item NLA.MS-SAV004993) - Cassette-Box 285
1 item, Compact cassette tapeWAMU 88.5FM
Leaning Towards Infinity, Radio Interviews, Live from Prairie Lights, 27/04/198 (Item NLA.MS-SAV004995) - Cassette-Box 285
1 item, Compact cassette tapeBrdcast 4/27/1998. WSUI Public Radio, Iowa City, Iowa
Leaning Towards Infinity, Radio Interviews. Maths I/V Paula, 1998? (Item NLA.MS-SAV004996) - Cassette-Box 285
1 item, Compact cassette tapeTypescript notes, made while in Greece, colour coded to denote proposed sections of the book, 1992 (File 19-21) - Box 3
Edited draft with numerous revisions by Woolfe and editorial comments by others, mid 1994, 1994 (File 37-39) - Box 6
Edits suggestions by friends, mathematicians and Random House., nd (File 40) - Box 6
Editors include Kate Grenville, Patti Miller, Martin Roper (USA), Adrian Nelson (Australian mathematician), Julia Styles (Random House) and Lyn Segal.
Ephemera relating to the New York workshop production, nd (File 58) - Box 10
Includes programs, newsletters, articles and photographs of the production
Stage contracts and correspondence relating to the Australian and New Zealand productions of the play., nd (File 59) - Box 10
It was performed in Christchurch, NZ, in 1998 and directed by Cameron Mattox. It was performed in Sydney in 1999 and directed by Moira Blumenthal.