Record

LevelFonds
Finding Number (Click this to view full catalogue structure)DL
TitleThe David Lodge Papers
Extent53 standard boxes
Date1960-[early 21st century]
DescriptionThe collection comprises the principal literary papers of David Lodge which consist of holograph manuscripts, first and final (copy edited) typescripts, galley and page proofs, foul papers, research papers, working notes and some correspondence relating to published novels and unpublished novels, a stage play and works of non-fiction, together with scripts and other papers of the television adaptation of of his novels.

The novels represented in this collection include 'Small World' (1984), 'Changing Places' (1975), 'Paradise News' (1991), 'Out of the Shelter' (1970), 'How Far Can You Go' (1980), 'Ginger You're Barmy' (1962), 'Nice Work' (1988), 'The Picturegoers' (1960), 'The Devil, the World and The Flesh' (unpublished, written in 1953) and 'The British Museum is Falling Down' (1965). The collection also includes papers relating to the television screenplay of 'Small World' and 'Nice Work', and to his 1986 stage play 'The Pressure Cooker', later revised as 'The Writing Game' and first produced at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 1990. The papers also include material relating to the following works of non-fiction: 'The Art of Fiction' (1992), 'Write On', 'After Bakhtin' (1990), 'Modern Criticism and Theory' (1988), 'Jane Austen: Emma, A Casebook' (1968), 'Language of Fiction' (1966), 'Working With Structuralism' (1981), 'The Modes of Modern Writing' (1977) and 'The Novelist at the Crossroads' (1971)

A later deposit, received in 2018, includes papers relating to Lodge's memoirs 'Quite A Good Time To Be Born' (2015), and 'Writer's Luck' (2018). A number of theses and dissertations, some foreign language, relating to Lodge's literary work and collected by him are also included.

Additional deposit arriving in 2023 comprised material relating to David Lodge's fiction and non-fiction novels, plays, and television productions, including draft texts and scripts, correspondence, and papers for the following: Therapy; Home Truths; Nice Work; Play 2; Author, Author; The Writing Game; Deaf Sentence; Interview; The Year of Henry James; Paradise News; Thinks; Out of the Shelter; A Man of Parts; Secret Thoughts; Lives in Writing; The Practice of Writing; How Far Can you Go; Big Worlds Small Worlds; Modern Criticism and Theory; Changing Places; Quite a Good Time to be Born; Writer's Luck; and Varying Degrees of Success.

Also includes files of correspondence organised by years; correspondence with publishers and agents; family history papers; diaries and appointment books; and audio-visual material including VHS of interviews.
NotesThis collection level description is based on the record created by Caroline Hughes, Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick for the Archives HUB, a JISC-funded service. Amended October 2003
ArrangementThese papers are currently subject to a temporary arrangement in advance of a full and detailed catalogue:

Boxes 1-26: Papers relating to published novels and one unpublished novel;
Box 27: Papers relating to stage play;
Boxes 28-32: Papers relating to television screen plays of novels;
Boxes 33-43: Papers relating to works of non-fiction.

An additional deposit, received during 2018, comprises:
Boxes 44-46: Papers relating to 'Quite A Good Time To Be Born';
Boxes 47-49: Papers relating to 'Writer's Luck' including first completed text with pencilled emendations;
Boxes 50-53: Various theses and dissertations relating to Lodge's literary work.

Boxes 54-137 was deposited in 2023.
Boxes 54-97: Papers, correspondence and draft texts of novels and television screen plays
Boxes 98-100: Papers relating to autobiographies
Boxes 100-101: Personal papers
Boxes 101-121: Correspondence organised by date
Boxes 121-127 Correspondence and papers with publishers and agents
Boxes 128-131: Other articles, writings and essays
Boxes 132-134: General correspondence and papers
Boxes 134-137: Audio-visual material

Access ConditionsThere are restrictions on access to some parts of this collection and a number of items are not to be consulted without the express permission of the author or his executors. These restrictions apply to the Lodge's manuscript of the very early novel, 'The Devil, the World and the Flesh' and to all his working notebooks for his fictional works. Further details can be found in the pdf file (attached below). Applications to consult restricted items should, in the first instance, be made to the Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections.
LanguageEnglish
Finding AidsA temporary handlist is available as a pdf file. Click on the link in the document field below. A paper copy is also available at the Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections.
DocumentDL (David Lodge) interim catalogue.pdf
Access StatusOpen
Administrative HistoryDavid John Lodge (b 1935), Professor of English, novelist.

Education: BA, MA, University of London; PhD, University of Birmingham.

Career: British Council, London, 1959-60; Assistant Lecturer, 1960-62, Lecturer 1963-71, Senior Lecturer, 1971-73, Reader in English, 1973-76, Professor of Modern English Literature, 1977-86, Honorary Professor, 1986-, University of Birmingham.

Bibliography (not fully comprehensive)

Publications: Novels:
'The Picturegoers' (1960);
'Ginger, You're Barmy' (1962);
'The British Museum is Falling Down' (1965);
'Out of the Shelter' (1970), revised edition (1985);
'Changing Places' (1975);
'How Far Can You Go?' (1980);
'Small World' (1984);
'Nice Work' (1988);
'Paradise News' (1991);
'Therapy (1995);
Thinks.... ' (2001).
'Author, Author (2004)
'Deaf Sentence' (2008)
'A Man of Parts' (2011)
''The Man Who Wouldn't Get Up and Other Stories' (2016)

Publications: Criticism:
'Language of Fiction: essays in criticism and verbal analysis of the English novel' (1966, new ed. 1984);
'Jane Austen: Emma: a casebook' (ed.) (1968, rev. ed. 1991)
'The Novelist at the Crossroads: and other essays on fiction and criticism' (1971);
'The Modes of Modern Writing: Metaphor, Metonymy, and the Typology of Modern Literature' (1977);
'Working with Structuralism: essays and reviews on nineteenth and twentieth century literature' (1981);
'Write On: Occasional Essays' (1986);
'Modern Criticism and Theory: a reader ' (ed.) (1988)
'After Bakhtin: essays on fiction and criticism' (1990);
'The Art of Fiction: illustrated from classic and modern texts' (1992);
'The Practice of Writing: Essays, Lectures, Reviews and a Diary' (1996);
'Consciousness & the Novel: connected essays' (2002).
'The Year of Henry James: The Story of a Novel' (2006)
'Lives in Writing' (2014)

Publications: Stage plays:
'The Writing Game' (1991)
'Home Truths' (1999).
'Secret Thoughts' (2011)

Publications: autobiography:
'Quite a Good Time To Be Born: a Memoir, 1935-1975' (2015)
'Writer's Luck: a Memoir, 1976-1991' (2018)

Honours: Yorkshire Post Fiction Prize, 1975 (for 'Changing Places'); Hawthornden Prize, 1976 (for 'Changing Places'); Whitbread Book Prize of the Year, 1980; Sunday Express Book of the Year Award, 1988 (for 'Nice Work'); Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres; Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 1988

Reference: International Authors and Writers Who's Who ( 17th edition, 2001/2002 ).
AcquisitionAgreement for the donation of a substantial collection of Lodge's literary papers was reached in 1989 and additional papers were purchased from the author in 1995. Further deposits have been made by the author in 1997, 2000, and 2018
Archival NoteThis collection level description is based on the record created by Caroline Hughes, Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick for the Archives HUB, a JISC-funded service. Amended October 2003 and February 2021
Related MaterialUniversity of Birmingham Information Services, Special Collections Department holds the papers of other 20th century novelists including the papers of Martin Booth (GB 0150 MB).
Publication NoteA short article about the first deposit of papers was published in the University of Birmingham Library's 'Research Libraries Bulletin', No. 2, Autumn 1994

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