Florence James papers, 1890-1993

MLMSS 5877

fonds

1890-1993

Textual Records, Clippings, 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.

The collection comprises 20 manuscript record series. You may navigate to a more detailed description of each series from this collection record.

Diaries, 1931-1993
Correspondence with her family, 1916-1992
Correspondence with personal and literary friends, 1928-1992
Publishing correspondence and related material, 1951-1993
Papers concerning the novel 'Four winds and a family', 1946-1953, 1963-1974
Papers concerning the novel 'Jungfrau' by Dymphna Cusack, 1989
Papers concerning the novel 'Come in spinner', 1947-1992
Papers concerning the television mini-series 'Come in spinner', 1980-1993
Papers concerning books about Australia and New Zealand which Florence James was commissioned to write (not published), 1963-1992
Papers concerning her work as an editor and journalist, 1940-1991, nd
Papers concerning literature, writing method and talks about literature, 1947-1992
Papers concerning International PEN and Australian Society of Authors, 1955-1981
Travel diaries and related papers, 1934-1987
Papers concerning Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), ca.1960-1991
Legal and financial records, 1934-1992
Miscellaneous papers, 1951, 1972-1990
Personal documents and papers concerning family history, 1890-1993
Photographs, 1929-1991
Printed material, 1921-1990
Oral history tapes, 1991

Sound recording:
Series: Florence James interview for ABC Radio program 'Word of Mouth' (Call No.: MLOH 160)

The collection comprises 20 manuscript record series.