Lola Irish literary papers, ca. 1935-1994

MLMSS 8877/Boxes 1-12
MLMSS 8877/Box 13X

fonds

ca. 1935-1994

Textual Records, Manuscript Notated Music, Clippings, Ephemera

146500

2.53 metres of textual material (12 boxes and 1 outsize box)

Lola Irish (ca. 1920-2007) was born in Ashfield, Sydney. She began her literary career writing short stories, radio scripts and plays, and stage plays before concentrating on writing novels. Her novels, mostly published in London, include ‘The Touch of Jade’ (1962), ‘Shadow Mountain’ (1964) and ‘Time of the Dolphins’ (1972). ‘And the Wild Birds Sing’ (1983), ‘The Place of the Swan’ (1986) and ‘The House of O'Shea’ (1990) form a historical trilogy, set in Australia's colonial era. ‘Streets of Dust’ (1993) is based on the life of Caroline Chisholm and was the winner of the NSW Society of Women Writers Book Award for Best Novel in 1995.

References:
Australian Literature Resource http://www.austlit.edu.au (accessed 11 March 2013)

Lola Irish literary papers, ca. 1935-1994, related to her published and unpublished plays, short stories and novels, including drafts, research notes and correspondence with publishers.

BOX 1
‘The touch of jade’ original annotated typescript, undated, and revised typescript, 1961
‘The touch of jade’ English language edition, 1962
Catalogue of ‘New books, winter 1961-62’ by Robert Hale Ltd
‘Mountain of the young woman’, later published as ‘Shadow Mountain’, unrevised annotated typescript, 1963
2 copies of book proofs for ‘Shadow Mountain’, 1964
Copy of ‘Shadow Mountain’ containing newscuttings and author’s typed inserts, 1964
Exercise book of research notes for ‘Shadow mountain’, undated

BOX 2
‘Time of the dolphins’ annotated editor/printer’s copy, 1972
Exercise book containing research notes for ‘Time of the dolphins’, undated
2 typescript unedited copies of ‘Time of the dolphins’, undated

BOX 3
‘And the wild birds sing’ original typescript copy and edited typescript copy, undated

BOX 4
‘And the wild birds sing’ typescript copy, undated
‘And the wild birds sing’ typescript copy with hand drawn maps by author, undated
‘And the wild birds sing’ uncorrected proof copy, 1983

BOX 5
‘The place of the swan’ typescript copy and editor’s typescript copy, undated
Chapter headings and notes for ‘The place of the swan’, undated
Exercise book of research notes for ‘The place of the swan’, ca. 1983

BOX 6
‘The house of O’Shea’ annotated typescript copy and author’s original typescript copy with corrections, undated
‘The house of O’Shea’ corrected part script and proofs, undated

BOX 7
‘The house of O’Shea’ incomplete typescript copy, undated
‘The house of O’Shea’ research notes, undated
‘The house of O’Shea’ original setting copy, proofs and maps, 1989-1991

BOX 8
General research material and notes for historical novels, including preliminary typescript drafts of ‘Streets of dust’, ca. 1948-1987

BOX 9
Typescript radio scripts and stage plays written by Lola Irish, undated
Transcript of taped interview by Mrs Hazel de Berg (for National Library) with Lola Irish, 17 May 1972
Typescript copies of published short stories by Lola Irish, ca. 1966-1970
Clippings of published short stories, ca. 1941-1973
Copy of ‘The Australian author’ Vol 3 No 2 April 1971, with article by Lola Irish

BOX 10
Correspondence with publisher regarding ‘And the wild birds sing’, 1983-1985
Correspondence with publisher relating to ‘The place of the swan’, 1981-1986
Publisher’s correspondence relating to ‘The house of O’Shea’, 1987-1989
Correspondence, newscuttings and photographs relating mainly to the publication of ‘Time of the dolphins’, 1971-1972
Correspondence with British and American theatre groups, 1966-1967
‘Raunie Lorne’ (later published as ‘And the wild birds sing’) typescript copy including original chapters 1 and 2, 1955
‘The wide pathway’, scripts 1-7, typescript and manuscript series of radio plays, undated
Manuscript and typescript radio plays about Henry Parkes, titled ‘The fertile soil’, with alternative titles, ca. 1952
Correspondence and newscuttings relating to Irish’s play ‘The boutique’ and the Channel 10 television series ‘Arcade’, 1966-1979

BOX 11
‘Streets of dust’ original typescript with manuscript annotations to cardboard cover, revised carbon typescript with manuscript corrections and typescript additions, photocopy typescript with manuscript alterations to opening pages, undated

BOX 12
‘Streets of dust’ bound photocopy typescript, 1993
‘Streets of dust’ typescript synopsis, undated; photocopy clippings of reviews, 1994; correspondence with Sydney Morning Herald relating to extracts, 1989
Correspondence with publishers Red Hill Press regarding publication of ‘Streets of dust’, including typescript draft, 1990-1991
Correspondence with Constable & Co and Dorothy Blewett relating to the writing and publication of the book then entitled ‘Raunie Lorne’, 1955-1959
Correspondence relating mainly to various productions of the play ’Boutique’, including with Pact Co-operative, Australian Council for the Arts and The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, 1969-1977
Typescripts and various drafts for plays by Lola Irish: ‘Then and now’, ‘Virtue triumphs in the end’, ‘Three corners’, ‘Where there’s a will’, ‘The boutique’ (3 versions, 1969)
Programmes, including the New Rowe Street Players’ presentation of Irish’s plays ‘Three corners’ and ‘Where there’s a will; ‘Tell me the truth’ by Leslie Howard, in which Irish played a part, annotated; Twentieth Tasmanian Drama Festival where Irish’s play ‘The boutique’ was performed, 1935-1966
Manuscript music scores, composed by Lola Irish, ca. 1935

BOX 13X
‘Streets of dust’ page proofs with manuscript corrections, first and second versions, undated

PRINTED MATERIAL
‘Wacht op mij aan de overkant’ (Dutch language edition of ‘The touch of jade’) 2 copies (Call No.: 823.914/6552)
‘Et les oiseaux sauvages chanteront’ (French language edition of ‘And the wild birds sing’) 2 copies (Call No.: 823.914/6549)
‘De roep van de wilde vogels’ (Dutch language edition of ‘And the wild birds sing’) 2 copies (Call No.: 823.914/6551)
‘De geur van wilde bloemen’ (Dutch language edition of ‘The place of the swan’) (Call No.: 823.914/6550)

Copyright status:: In copyright - this collection has multiple rights owners
Approval for reproduction required: of copyright owner
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Information upgraded as part of the Manuscripts Unprocessed eRecords Project 2012-2013