Florence James papers, 1890-1993

MLMSS 5877

fonds

1890-1993

Textual Records, Clippings, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Nonmusical Sound Recordings

71012

6.63 metres of textual material (51 boxes) - manuscript, typescript, and printed

Florence James (1902-1993) was a novelist, editor and reviewer. She was born in New Zealand and educated at Sydney University where she began her long association with Dymphna Cusack. Together James and Cusack wrote two books, 'Four Winds and a Family', a story for children, and 'Come in Spinner' which won the Sydney Daily Telegraph prize in 1948. An abridged version of the novel was published by Heinemann in 1951. James edited the unabridged version which was published by Collins/Angus and Robertson in 1989. In 1990 the Australian Broadcasting Commission produced a mini-series based on 'Come in Spinner'.
Florence James went to England in 1927. She shared a bedsitting room with Christina Stead for a short time, and worked mainly as a journalist. She established her own literary agency and became press representative for educationist Maria Montessori. In 1938 she returned to Australia and during the Second World War she shared a house in the Blue Mountains with Dymphna Cusack where they wrote their two novels. James went to England again in 1947 and from 1951 worked as an independent literary agent and reader for Constable and Co. and for Richmond, Towers and Benson Ltd (later Winant, Towers and Benson Ltd, and, after 1965, Winant, Towers Ltd). While in London she acted as a talent scout for Australian and New Zealand writers including Mary Durack, Nene Gare, Maurice Shadbolt, David Martin and Sylvia Ashton-Warner. She was also a regular reviewer for the 'Times Literary Supplement'.
In 1963 James visited Australia and New Zealand to meet the authors she represented. She stayed to gather material for two books which she had been commissioned to write about Australia and New Zealand, and decided to live permanently in Sydney. James maintained a close friendship with many of the women she met at University and with the writers whose work she promoted. In the early 1970s she became an active member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia. James married William ('Pym') Heyting in 1932. They divorced in 1948. They had two daughters. Florence James died in 1993.

Series 01: Florence James diaries, 1931-1993
Series 02: Florence James correspondence with her family, 1916-1990
Series 03: Florence James correspondence with personal and literary friends, 1928-1992
Series 04: Florence James publishing correspondence and related material, 1951-1993
Series 05: Florence James papers concerning the novel 'Four winds and a family', 1946-1974
Series 06: Florence James papers concerning the novel 'Jungfrau' by Dymphna Cusack, 1989
Series 07: Florence James papers concerning the novel 'Come in spinner', 1947-1992
Series 08: Florence James papers concerning television mini-series 'Come in spinner', 1980-1993
Series 09: Florence James papers concerning books about Australia and New Zealand which Florence James was commissioned to write (not published), 1963-1992
Series 10: Florence James papers concerning her work as an editor and journalist, 1940-1991
Series 11: Florence James papers concerning literature, writing method and talks about literature, 1947-1992
Series 12: Florence James papers concerning International PEN and Australian Society of Authors, 1955-1981
Series 13: Florence James travel diaries and related papers, 1934-1987
Series 14: Florence James papers concerning the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), 1960-1991
Series 15: Florence James legal and financial records, 1934-1992
Series 16: Florence James miscellaneous papers, 1951, 1972-1990
Series 17: Florence James personal documents and papers concerning family history, 1890-199?
Series 19: Florence James printed material, 1921-1990
Series 18: Florence James photographs, 1929-1991
Series 20: Florence James interview for ABC Radio program 'Word of mouth'

The collection comprises 20 manuscript record series.