Showing 27 results

Drafts of unpublished poems and prose pieces, [1921x1934], by Phyllis Playter, including a story in French entitled 'Voyage à l'infini' (f. 1-14), five chapters of a story entitled 'Mrs Telfair's Companion' (ff. 53-76), and a fragment of a poem called 'Cimmeria' (ff. 77-78), together with what purports to be the first chapter of John Cowper Powys's novel The Inmates (1952) (ff. 86-8), though Playter's text does not tally with the corresponding section of the published work. The items were preserved by Playter in an envelope marked 'Precious, Precious'. Inserted into the papers are original manuscript and photocopied notes on the material by Morine Krissdottir.

A photocopy of the typescript of John Cowper Powys's novel Porius (minus a lost first chapter), with a typescript introduction by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir to the most recent (2007) edition of the novel originally published in 1951 and subsequently revised and republished in 1994 and 2007. This text of the novel includes occasional manuscript emendations by John Cowper Powys and several of the individual chapters include notes by Morine Krissdottir.

Fifty-four manuscript and typescript items, [1912x1934], of Phyllis Playter comprising mostly draft prose and poetry, some of which is fragmentary, together with a prose piece copied by Phyllis Playter from the works of Rainer Maria Rilke (ff. 96-8), a poem by Phyllis Playter copied out in a later (cataloguer's) hand (f. 41 recto-verso) and three items taken from printed sources, namely 'The Man in the Moon' by François de Curel, translated from the French by Phyllis Playter (ff. 123-6 verso), a play entitled 'Good-Bye, Georgette' by Phyllis Playter (ff. 127-8), and 'Dialogues of the Dead' by Bernard de Bovier de Fontenelle, translated from the French by Phyllis Playter (ff. 129-45) (photocopy). Some of the items are duplicated and one poem, 'The Dead', is also found in Phyllis Playter's 'Precious, Precious' collection. Inserted into the papers are photocopied notes on the material by Morine Krissdottir.

Letters largely to and between various members of the Powys family, as follows: To Lucy Penny from her mother Mary Cowper Powys (5), 1911-1912, 1914; to Marian (May) Powys from her mother Mary Cowper Powys (1), [1914]; to Margaret Powys from her son Littleton Alfred Powys (1), 1926; to Gamel Woolsey from Mary (Molly) MacCarthy (1), undated, which refers to Gamel's then contentious work One Way of Love (1930) (with a note by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir); to Gertrude Powys from [her brother Theodore Francis Powys], (3), 1941, 1946 and undated (typescript copies); to Gertrude Powys from her sister Lucy Penny (1 postcard), [1944]; to Marian Powys from 'E. R.' (1), 1947; to Peter Powys Grey from his mother Marian Powys (1), 1948; to Bernard O'Neill from Philippa (Katie) Powys (1), 1949 (photocopy); to Francis Llewellyn Powys from his cousin Littleton Alfred Powys (1 postcard), 1951; to Littleton [?Charles] Powys from an unnamed correspondent (the letter lacking a signature and appearing incomplete) (1), 1953; to George Frederick Sims from John Cowper Powys's nephew Francis Llewellyn Powys (1), 1958 (photocopy); to Alyse Gregory, widow of Llewelyn Powys, from Francis Llewellyn Powys (1), 1960; to Jill Olson from Katie Powys (1), 1961 (photocopy) (with note by Morine Krissdottir); to Lucy Penny from her sister Marian Powys (1), [1963]; to Lucy Penny from Powys biographer Marie Canavaggia (including a note to Phyllis Playter) (1), 1964; to Lucy Penny from her niece Isobel Powys Marks (1), 1966; to Lucy Penny from her niece Rose Dyer (1), 1969; to Lucy Penny from her nephew Gilfrid Powys (1), 1969; to Lucy Penny from her great-nephew Michael (2) and her great-niece Lucy (1), 1969; to Francis Llewellyn Powys from C. Benson Roberts (1), 1970; to John Cowper Powys's brother William Ernest (Willie) Powys from Agnes [ ? ] in Poland, enclosing a photograph [?from Adrian Upfield]) (1), 2002; together with undated letters to Alyse Gregory from Lucy Penny (1) and Ty (Barbara) Powys Grey (née Tyler), first wife of Peter Powys Grey (1), an undated letter to Bernard O'Neill from Lucy Penny (photocopy), and an undated postcard from Marian Powys to an unnamed recipient (on the dorse of which is a printed notice of an auction of some of Marian Powys's lacemaking stock upon her retirement). Included separately in an envelope are photographs of Marian Powys and Peter Powys Grey, [?1936], and an obituary of Gertrude Powys, [1952].

Miscellaneous material of or relating to Father Littleton Alfred Powys, son of John Cowper Powys. They comprise Littleton Alfred's baptismal certificate, [1914]; his Declaration of Ordination, 1927, 1928; birthday greetings to him from his mother Margeret Powys, 1930; a press cutting relating to his service as army chaplain during the Second World War; a holograph copy of his poem 'The Sound'; four photographs showing a procession of nuns and children from Nympsfield Orphanage, Dursley, Gloucestershire, 1950 (with notes on dorse by Littleton Alfred); an undated photograph of Dinah White, close friend of Littleton Alfred, with Dinah's name inscribed on the back cover in Phyllis Playter's hand; press obituaries (one in Welsh) of Littleton Alfred Powys, [1954], including one taken from The Beda Review; an envelope containing an embroidered handkerchief and photograph [?of Littleton Alfred], undated, the envelope inscribed 'From Littleton Alfred's Silver Box' in Phyllis Playter's hand; a copy, in the hand of Littleton Charles Powys (Littleton Alfred's uncle), of a letter from Dinah White, dated 22 August 1954, to Littleton Charles, together with typescript notes by Littleton Charles on Littleton Alfred's poem 'Ode to the West Wind', including public response to the work (see also NLW MS 24061D); and a printed copy of Littleton Alfred's poem 'Ode to the West Wind', at the back of which is inserted a press cutting from The Listener, 24 June 1954, relating to Theodore Francis Powys's possible influence on Dylan Thomas's 'Under Milk Wood'. There is a note in Morine Krissdottir's hand on f. 8.

Seventy-two items of Phyllis Plater, nineteen items of which are a collection referred to by her as 'Precious, Precious'. The papers mainly comprise draft prose and poetry by Phyllis Playter, together with three items taken from printed sources. Inserted into both sets of papers are notes on the material by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir. Also included is a hardcover notebook containing draft prose and personal memoranda by Phyllis Playter.

Photocopies of one hundred and five letters, [1883, 1902, 1906-1907, 1909, 1912, 1914-1919, 1921-1933], 1935-1936, 1938, 1941-1949, 1951, from John Cowper Powys to his brother Theodore Francis Powys, the earliest of which was written by John Cowper Powys from Sherborne School, together with a typescript copy of one letter, 1947, possibly made by Phyllis Playter (f. 317), and one letter, 1956, from John Cowper Powys to Violet Powys, widow of Theodore (ff. 340-342). A substantial portion of the letters are undated, with likely dates (and other notes) added in pencil by Morine Krissdottir. The letters contain mostly personal, professional and family news and some are illustrated with John Cowper Powys's drawings. Enclosures comprise a photocopy of a printed article containing a review of Theodore Powys's The House with the Echo (1928) and photocopies of letters to John Cowper Powys from Barnet B. Ruder and Reginald Moore. The originals of these letters are housed in Texas. The photocopies were made by Jeffrey Kwintner and given to Morine Krissdottir.

Letters from Phyllis Playter to Reginald [?Pole], (1), [1933]; Ferner Nuhn and Ruth Suckow (7), 1934-1935, 1952, 1964 (photocopies); Huw Owen Williams (Huw Menai) and his wife Anne, (1), 1945 (photocopy); Rosemary Manning (draft letters), 1972; Harold A. Van Kirk, (1), 1974; and unknown recipients (incomplete letters, one of which (ff. 53-54 verso, 55 verso) includes notes by Marian Powys). Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir has added dates to some of the letters and there is a note in her hand attached to f. 1.

Four letters, 1929, [1932], from John Cowper Powys to Phyllis Playter's mother Minnie H. Playter, with one letter addressed to Minnie Playter and Phyllis Playter. The letters include references to the death of Toby [?a dog or cat], the acquisition of British rights to the publication of Powys's novel A Glastonbury Romance (1933), and mention of "my little Philosopy Book", possibly A Philosophy of Solitude, published in 1933. F. 2-verso is in Phyllis Playter's hand. The envelopes and all but one letter are annotated by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir.

Three letters, [1935], 1938, from Phyllis Playter to John Cowper Powys's brother, Llewelyn (Lulu) Powys, which include Phyllis Playter's response to Llewelyn's work Damnable Opinions (1935). In 1938 Phyllis Playter is writing to Switzerland, where Llewelyn had removed for the sake of his health. Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir has added brief notes on ff. 1, 3.

Photocopies of one hundred and three letters - four of which are partial and undated, others with very faint text (occasionally clarified in Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir's hand) - from John Cowper Powys to his brother Littleton Charles Powys, containing mostly personal news and reflections, together with one telegram, 1943, addressed to [presumably Elizabeth] Myers, Littleton's second wife. Some of the letters are illustrated with John Cowper Powys's ink drawings, which include self-caricatures.

Typescript copies of one hundred and thirty-three letters, five postcards, one letter card and one card, 1895-1896, 1902, [1910], 1914-1915[x1918], 1920-1925, 1927-1940, 1943, 1945-1948, 1950-1952 and undated, and one holograph letter, 1948, from John Cowper Powys to his sister Gertrude Powys. The letters contain mostly personal and family news, including the birth of John Cowper Powys's son Littleton Alfred in 1902 and Littleton Alfred's ordination in 1927, the death of John Cowper Powys and Gertrude's brother Llewelyn in 1939, accounts of John Cowper Powys's works in progress and the libel case brought against him in relation to his novel A Glastonbury Romance (1933), together with accounts of life in and around John Cowper Powys and Phyllis Playter's New York State home Phudd Bottom and their plans for moving to Wales. Typed notes have been added to the copied letters, presumably by the copier. Some of the letters are annotated by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir, who has also written a brief overview of the collection (inserted in the folder). A note in the hand of Morine Krissdottir explains that the typed copies were made by Sally Powys, before the original letters were sold to The Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin.

Typescript copies of letters and cards, and one holograph letter, from John Cowper Powys to his sister Gertrude Powys. The letters contain mostly personal and family news. Typed notes have been added to the copied letters, presumably by the copier. Some of the letters are annotated by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir, who has also written a brief overview of the collection (inserted in the folder).

Photocopies of forty-eight letters, 1954-1961, 1963 and undated, from Phyllis Playter to George F. Sims which mostly involve negotiations for the sale of John Cowper Powys's manuscripts. Some of the folios bear notes by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir.

Letters, 1866-[?1890], to the Rev. Charles Francis Powys from various correspondents, as follows: [?G. H[arr]y Pearson], Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (1), 1866 (regarding a teaching post for John Cowper Powys); E. S. King (1), 1868; [?] King (1), 1872 (with two photographs enclosed); George [?Collett] (1), 1873; [the Rev.] R[obert] Grant (1), 1878; Cox, Sons, Buckley & Co. and William Powys, 1884, regarding memorial stones for Charles Francis Powys's parents (with a note by Charles Francis Powys on f. 19); the poet and philosopher William Barnes (1), 1885 (with a note by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir on f. 28); [?M.] R. Phelips (3 (one a fragment only)), 1885 (regarding the living of Montacute) (with a note on the envelope by Charles Francis Powys); the congregation of St Peter's Church, Dorchester, on the occasion of Charles Francis Powys's removal from there to St Catherine's Church, Montacute (1), 1885, and the Rev. John Stapleton of St John's Church, Weymouth (1), [?1890].

Typed copies of one hundred and eleven letters and three apparently incomplete letters, 1916-1921, 1923-1926, 1928-1933, 1938-1949, 1951-1952 and undated, to John Cowper Powys from his brother Theodore Francis Powys. These letters appear to be in addition to those contained in AAA1/3/1 and AAA1/3/2. The letters contain mostly personal and family news, with references to the proposed publication of some of Theodore's works. One copied letter to his sister Marian Powys from Theodore, presumably included here in error, is crossed out. The folios contain some manuscript amendments/additions [?by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir].

Fifty-eight letters, 1914-1922, 1925-1926, 1931-1932, 1940-19411946-1947, 1950-1951, to John Cowper Powys from his brother Theodore Francis Powys, some of which are partial letters, containing mostly personal and family news, with references to the proposed publication of some of Theodore's works. The majority of the letters are photocopies of the originals, with some typed copies, and one (undated) holograph letter written on the back of a letter from one of Theodore's sons - possibly Charles ('Dicky') Powys - to his parents. Thirteen undated letters are filed within an envelope. Where the photocopied text is very faded, Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir has traced over the script in her own hand.

Letters to Phyllis Playter from Mabel Powys, first wife of Littleton Charles Powys (1), [1940] (with a short note from Littleton Charles Powys); John Cowper Powys's sister, Philippa (Katie) Powys (8), [1945], [1948], 1957, 1960 (one letter, 1960, containing a note from Katie's sister, Lucy Penny; Isobel Powys Marks, daughter of John Cowper Powys's brother, Albert Reginald (Bertie) Powys (13 letters and 2 postcards), 1946, 1949, 1959, 1963, 1964, 1971 and undated; Lucy Penny's daughter, Mary Casey (16 letters and 2 postcards), 1949, 1953, 1958-1963, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1972 (reference to scattering John Cowper Powys's ashes on Chesil Beach and the death of Llewelyn Powys's wife, Alyse Gregory), and Mary's husband, Gerard (1), [?1980] (refers to the death of Mary Casey); John Cowper Powys's niece, Eleanor Powys (1), 1949; John Cowper Powys's son, Littleton Alfred Powys (1), 1949 (enclosing four photographs of Littleton Alfred, one taken with John Cowper Powys, and three of which are inscribed by Littleton Alfred Powys, with a note by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir on f. 51) and an undated photograph of St Dominic's Church, Dursley, Gloucestershire, inscribed on the dorse by Littleton Alfred; John Cowper Powys's brother, Littleton Charles Powys (1), 1949; Stephen Powys Marks, son of Isobel (1), 1959; John Cowper Powys's sister-in-law, Faith Powys (4), 1962, 1963, 1967; Marian Powys's son, Peter Powys Grey (2), 1963, 1966; Antonia Goldhill, daughter of Isobel (4), 1963 and undated); John Francis Cowper Powys, grandson of Theodore Francis Powys (3 letters and 1 postcard), 1967, 1971, 1972 (references to his marriage and including ink drawings illustrating his new home and possessions, and mention of the death of Violet Powys, John's grandmother); John Cowper Powys's brother, William Ernest (Willie) Powys (1), 1967; and Theodore Francis Powys's daughter-in-law, Sally Powys, wife of Francis Llewellyn Powys (5), 1967, 1978, 1980 and undated.

Letters to Phyllis Playter from Father J. Hamilton C. Johnson (1), 1929; Marianne Moore (1), 1929; Edgar Lee Masters (6), 1930-1932 (typescript copies); Helen Dreiser (1), 1933; Bernard O'Neill (2), 1945; Alan Denson (1), 1955; George F. Sims (1), 1956; John Redwood Anderson (7 letters and 1 postcard), 1959, 1961-1963, his wife Gwyneth Anderson (3), 1963 and undated, and from both John Redwood and Gwyneth Anderson (1), [1963] (references to the death of John Cowper Powys); Mary Truesdale (1),1960; Dorothy May Meech (1), 1960; Kenneth Hopkins (1), 1961; Ichiro Hara (6), 1962, 1964, 1974, 1979; Minoru Akiyama (1), 1962; George Steiner (1), 1962; Brocard Sewell (1), 1963, and Moray McLaren (1), 1963, regarding a proposed radio broadcast of John Cowper Powys's son Littleton Alfred Powys's poem 'Ode to the West Wind'; Angus Wilson (1 telegram), 1963 (expressing sympathy on the death of John Cowper Powys); Harold A. Van Kirk (1), 1963; G. Wilson Knight (1), 1964; Harold P. Collins (5),1965-1966; Gerald Pollinger (1), 1975 (with typescript copy of a letter from Phyllis Playter to Gerald Pollinger dated 23 October 1975) (beginning of draft letter to G[erald Pollinger] in Francis Llewellyn Powys's hand on f. 100 verso); and David Jenkins of the National Library of Wales (1), 1979; together with undated letters from Josiah Titzell (1), Gladys Ficke (1), and Fred [ ? ] of Birkenhead. Some of the letters are inscribed with notes by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir.

Nine letters and one Christmas card, 1947, 1949-1950, 1960, 1962 and undated, to John Cowper Powys from his nephew Oliver Powys, son of John Cowper Powys's brother Albert Reginald (Bertie) Powys, and one letter, 1960, to John Cowper Powys and Phyllis Playter from Oliver's twin sister Eleanor Powys. The letters contain mostly personal and family news. The envelopes bear notes in the hand of Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir.