Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- [1941]-1944, 1974 (Creation)
Level of description
File
Extent and medium
NLW MS 24178E: 48 ff.
NLW MS 24178E (a): 12 ff.
Placed in melinex sleeves within ringed box at NLW.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Alun Lewis (1915-1944) was a poet and short-story writer. He was born on 1 July 1915 in Cwmaman, Aberdare, the eldest of three sons and a daughter born to Thomas John Lewis, a schoolmaster and his wife Gwladys Lewis. He received his education at Glynhafod Elementary School, 1920-1926, and afterwards he attended Cowbridge Grammar School, 1926-1932, after winning a scholarship. He won scholarships both to Jesus College, Oxford, and the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, but chose the latter. He graduated in history in 1935 with first class honours and while at the University he worked on its magazine where he also published his first poems and stories. From Aberystwyth he moved to Manchester University, 1935-1937, where he researched for his masters degree in medieval history before returning to Aberystwyth to follow a teacher training course. He taught history at Lewis Pengam School from 1938 until he joined the Royal Engineers in May 1940.
He married Gweno Ellis of Aberystwyth on 5 July 1941 and was posted to the 6th Battalion South Wales Borderers at Woodbridge in Suffolk in the same year. His first volume of poetry Raiders' Dawn was published in 1942. A volume of short stories The Last Inspection was also published in that year. In the winter of 1942 the battalion was shipped to India. He died in Burma on 5 March 1944 and was buried in Taukyan War Cemetery.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Archival history
The contents of NLW MS 24178E and NLW ex 3053-6 were acquired by Jeff Towns mainly from the libraries of Alan Clodd, Peter Joliffe and Geoffrey Woolley.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Jeff Towns; Swansea; Purchase (with NLW ex 3053-3056); June 2021; 991125838002419, 991125837902419 and 991103942302419.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of, or relating to, the poet and short story writer Alun Lewis, collected together by Jeff Towns, Swansea, comprising typescript copies, [?March 1941], of three lectures by Lewis (ff. 1-17); correspondence and papers of Charles Hamblett, Derek Sandford and Alun Lewis relating to the pamphlet Call Wind to Witness (London, [1942]) (ff. 18-34); and correspondence of W. G. Archer with Alun Lewis and others, [1943]-1944, 1974 (ff. 35-48).
Also included with the Charles Hamblett papers is a copy of Call Wind to Witness (now NLW MS 24178E(a)).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged at NLW as follows: Alun Lewis lectures; Charles Hamblett papers; W. G. Archer correspondence.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions set out in information provided when applying for their Readers' Tickets, whereby the reader shall become responsible for compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 in relation to any processing by them of personal data obtained from modern records held at the Library.
Conditions governing reproduction
Usual copyright laws apply. Information regarding the ownership of Alun Lewis copyright can be found at http://tyler.hrc.utexas.edu/ (viewed July 2022).
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Generated finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents.
Alternative identifier(s)
Alma system control number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Lewis, Alun, 1915-1944 -- Archives (Subject)
- Lewis, Alun, 1915-1944 -- Correspondence (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Description follows NLW guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd ed.; AACR2; and LCSH
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
July 2022.
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Description compiled by Rhys Jones.