Series 04: Florence James publishing correspondence and related material, 1951-1993

MLMSS 5877/Boxes 22-25

series

1951-1993

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs

71147

4 boxes of textual material - manuscript

Florence James (1902-1993) was a novelist, editor and reviewer.
In 1927 James went to England where she established her own literary agency before returning to Australia in 1938. 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.

Publishing correspondence includes correspondence with various authors and publishers, mainly during James' career as an independent literary agent and reader. James continued to correspond with several authors for many years. The series includes reader's reports written by James. Further correspondence with some authors is included in the series 'Correspondence with personal and literary friends'.
1951-1953; Correspondence with various authors (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/22)
1951-1960; 'Constable Reports to Dec. 1956', being mainly reader's reports written by Florence James for Constable and Co. Includes articles concerning death of Katherine Mansfield, 1951, correspondence with Michael and Richard Sadlier, b/w photograph of Michael Sadlier, Chairman of Constable and Co. (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/22)
1952-1959; 'Selected Constable Authors'. Includes correspondence with Sylvia Ashton-Warner, Nancy Cato, Jean Devanny, John K. Ewers, Christopher Koch, Harold A. Lindsay, D'Arcy Niland, E.O. Schlunke and Judah Waten (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/22)
1953-1954; Correspondence with various authors (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/22)
1953-1955; Correspondence with various authors, including Phillip Wilson (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/23)
1953-1959; Correspondence with Donald Stuart (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/23)
1954-1956; Correspondence with various authors (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/23)
1955-1963; Correspondence with various authors, including Lola Irish (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/23)
1956-1958; Correspondence with various authors, including George Farwell (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/24)
1956-1965; 'Odds', being papers concerning financial arrangements and contracts with authors. Authors include Nene Gare, Max Fatchen, Colin Johnson, Mary Durack and John Sanders; includes copy of James' contract for 'The Real Book of New Zealand' and 'The Real Book of Australia', 1963 (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/24)
1958-1991; Correspondence with Nene Gare, 1958-1991, together with newscuttings concerning the film of 'The Fringe Dwellers', 1986 (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/24)
Further correspondence with Nene Gare is included in papers concerning the Quakers located in box 46
1963-1964; Correspondence with various authors, including Nancy Phelan, Kylie Tennant and Betty Roland; includes letters to Ursula Winant concerning various authors, written by Florence James during a visit to Australia and New Zealand (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/24)
1963-1965; Correspondence with various authors, including Amelia Batistich (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/24)
1963-1987; 'Unsorted', being correspondence with various authors, including Allan Turpin, John Pain and Nancy Phelan (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/24)
1964-1965; Correspondence with various authors, including Colin Johnson, Mary Durack, Beatrice Davis and Betty Roland. Includes letters to Ursula Winant concerning various authors, written by Florence James during a visit to Australia and New Zealand (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/25)
1964-1982; Correspondence with Arthur Brown, 1964; Bobs Tree, 1964; Kay Brown, 1966, 1975-1976; Katharine Susannah Prichard, 1966; Marjorie Barnard, 1969 (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/25)
1965-1968; Correspondence with various people, including Keith Willey and Curtis Atkinson; includes b/w photograph of Curtis Atkinson, 1966 (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/25)
1965-1973; Correspondence with various people, including Nene Gare, Maurice Shadbolt, Nancy Phelan and Winant Towers Ltd, mainly concerning payments to authors (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/25)
1970-1993; Correspondence with various people, including Debra Adelaide, Mary Durack, Frances de Groen, Barbara Ker Wilson, Jane Messer and Ursula Winant (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/25)