Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1921-1992 / (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
0.774 cubic metres (86 boxes, 1 volume)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Prof. Gwyn Jones (1907-1999), scholar, novelist and short-story writer, was born on 27 May 1907 in Blackwood, Monmouthshire. He was educated at Tredegar County School and later studied at University College, Cardiff, where he graduated in English in 1927. He was awarded an MA degree for a thesis on the Icelandic Sagas in 1929. During the same year he was appointed to a teaching post at Wigan, later moving to Manchester. His first publications, Four Icelandic Sagas and Richard Savage, appeared in 1935, the year in which he moved back to Cardiff as a lecturer in the English Department. In 1940 he was appointed Professor of English at Aberystwyth, where he stayed until 1964, when he was appointed to the Chair of English at Cardiff. He remained there until his retirement in 1975. He was a major figure in Anglo-Welsh literature. He founded, with Creighton Griffiths, the monthly magazine The Welsh Review which appeared, under his editorship, from February to November 1939. He edited some volumes of Welsh short stories and the Oxford Book of Welsh Verse in English (1977). He also wrote three novels. Together with Thomas Jones, the medievalist, he prepared a new translation of the Mabinogi which was first published in 1948. He received many honours, including the Order of the Falcon by the President of Iceland, and was a Commander of the British Empire.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated by Professor Gwyn Jones in 1992 and 1995. Two further groups transferred in 2002 and 2004 which were originally a bequest in the will of Professor Gwyn Jones remain uncatalogued.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The literary and academic papers, 1921-1992, of Prof. Gwyn Jones, comprising correspondence, 1936-1991; manuscripts and typescript drafts of his literary works, 1939-1992, including poetry and prose; translations of the Mabinogion and Icelandic sagas, 1921-1991; the history of Scandinavia, 1961-1988; his work as editor of various publications such as The Welsh Review, Welsh Short Stories and the Oxford Book of Welsh Verse in English, 1935-1977; papers relating to the establishment of a national theatre for Wales, 1962-1977; articles, lectures and broadcasts on various topics, 1942-1992; together with some personal papers and publications of other authors.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Action: All records have been retained.
Accruals
Accruals are not expected.
System of arrangement
Arranged into the following: correspondence; poetry; prose; plays; miscellaneous; articles and essays; reviews and criticism; broadcasts; talks; translations; Scandinavian history; editorial; National Theatre for Wales; private presses; personal; and other authors.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Some files are closed for 50 years after the last date in each file: exemption s40, Freedom of Information Act 2000. Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.
Conditions governing reproduction
Usual copyright regulations apply
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
English, Norse, Danish, French, Dutch, German, Icelandic, Welsh.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales. The catalogue can be accessed online. A preliminary box list is available for the 1995 donation.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title supplied from contents of fonds.
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
Project identifier
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Jones, Gwyn, 1907-1999 -- Archives (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Description follows ANW guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd ed.;AACR2; and LCSH
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
February 2003
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Compiled by Annette Strauch for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Schedule of Gwyn Jones Papers; Harris, John, A Bibliographical Guide to Twenty-four Anglo-Welsh Writers (Cardiff 1994) and Price, Cecil, Writers of Wales (Cardiff 1976).