Harold Pinter's Archive

The British Library has bought Harold Pinter's archive, of over 150 boxes full of material, for £1.1 million. This collection includes correspondence between the Nobel Prize winning playwright and other leading figures in Post-War literature, such as Noel Coward, David Mamet, Philip Larkin and Samuel Beckett.

The collection has been on loan to the British Library since 1993, but this acquisition has ended speculation that Pinter's archive could follow David Hare and Tom Stoppard's to the University of Texas in Austin, which has been briskly purchasing collections form Post-War literary figures. Jamie Andrews, head of modern literary manuscripts at the British Library said, "There are issues around some archives going to American institutions and we have been working very hard to fly the flag and encourage British writers to leave their archives in this country."

The archive spands Pinter's lengthy career, from photos of his appearances in school productions of Shakespeare and the unpublished autobiography of his youth, The Queen of all the Faeries, through to a draft of the poem he read out on his collection of the Nobel Prize in 2005. The collection is in the process of being catalgoued by the British Library and should be accessible early in 2008. An exhibition of scripts, sound recordings and letters will go on display at the British Library from January 11th.

Carol Souet, the Director of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, who contributed over £200,000 to the archive's acquisition, said, "Harold Pinter is already an integral part of our dramatic and literary heritage. The National Heritage Memorial Fund grant is particularly special as it is the first time we have helped save works of a living artist. This unique collection is now safe for future generations to enjoy and learn from."

Comments

[dominic shellard]

What tremendous news - and this confirms the British Library as the pre-eminent home of post-war British theatre archives.

[Tom Dymond]

I've always wondered why playwrights sell their archives abroad. Does is merely come down to money? Especially with people like David Hare, so critical of America in his play Stuff Happens - it seems inconsistent to then sell your collection to an American institution like the Harry Ransom Centre. I've heard the facilities there are excellent, but it seems a shame to remove the material from its native situation. The Pinter papers are a fantastic addition to the British Library, and I hope other leading British dramatists will continue to support British based institutions when it comes to selling their life's work.

[Jamie Andrews]

Certainly, American institutions do a great job in the physical preservation of papers -and through tax and other fiscal advantages, enjoy greater ease on acquisitions. Though I do worry about access and different audiences- I don’t have figures to hand, but can’t imagine that footfall (and varied at that) in Austin, TX, can compare to the BL, in the heart of London, of the country’s transport network, and so close to Europe with St Pancras International. It would be intriguing to observe reactions if just one archive went the other way- Tony Kushner, Rebecca Gilman, if you’re reading this…!

[stephen wischhusen]

I agree - excellent news. But it does also reveal some alarming and distressing gaps in our national collections - something our present government should feel ashamed about.