Alison Uttley Papers
Date range: 1903-1994
Medium: Archive
Papers of Alison Uttley (1884-1976), the well-known children's writer.
Born Alice Jane Taylor in Cromford, Derbyshire, she developed a love of science at school, and won a scholarship to read physics at Manchester University. Her writing career was born of necessity: her husband, James Arthur Uttley, died in 1930, his health broken by service in the First World War. In order to support herself and her son she began to write a series of stories about animals such as Little Grey Rabbit, Little Red Fox, Sam Pig and Hare. Her writing career blossomed, and she continued to write stories for young children, while expanding her range by writing for older children and adults.
Alison Uttley was the author of over one hundred books, and was awarded an honorary Litt.D. by Manchester University in 1970.
The collection includes:
- 40 unpublished personal diaries, 1932-1971;
- Numerous notebooks containing rough drafts of stories, jottings of dreams, memories, experiences and quotations;
- Scrapbooks containing press cuttings and reviews of Uttley's works;
- Numerous copies of her works, in manuscript, typescript and proof copy form;
- Copies of illustrations by artists such as Charles Tunnicliffe and Margaret Tempest;
- Correspondence with Walter de la Mare and many others;
- Cuttings, postcards and photographs.
In addition to Tunnicliffe and Tempest, many other notable illustrators are represented in the collection, including Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, Harry Neilson and Randolph Caldecott.
See also:
Further information:
Catalogue available online via ELGAR.
Location:
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