Allan Baillie literary papers, 1972-1993

MLMSS 7864

fonds

1972-1993

411425

0.52 metres of textual material (3 boxes) - typescript, photocopy and computer printouts, with annotations

Allan Baillie was born in 1943 in Prestwick, Scotland, but has lived in Australia since he was seven years old. He has worked as a journalist in Australia and London. Since 1987 Baillie has been a full-time author of novels and picture books for children. Since 1983, when the Edinburgh Children's Book Group awarded the inaugural Kathleen Fidler Award to Baillie's first children’s book, Adrift, his works have won or been shortlisted for a number of awards and have been published overseas and translated into several languages.

He has also written an adult novel, Mask maker (London, England : Macmillan, 1974), based on his travels in south-east Asia.

BOX 1
The bad guys : 1st, 2nd & 3rd drafts (3rd draft marked up with editor's comments)
Magician : 3 drafts
The broken coin (published as The China coin) : drafts 1-4, 7 & 8 (final)

BOX 2
Hero : 3 drafts
Megan's star : 2 drafts
Mask maker (adult novel) : 1 draft with emendations
Documents used as examples for school visits : fax sent to Allan Baillie in hospital re cover art for The China coin; first draft and final draft sample chapters from Riverman
Drac and the Gremlin : 2 drafts with editorial comment
1 computer disc: 5 1/4" floppy disc, IBM Wordstar (Osborne CPM), containing research notes and finances for Tree, a working title for Riverman

BOX 3
8 folders of correspondence, 1972-1991 (mainly from 1980-1991): letters received, including readers' reports and correspondence relating to submissions, publishing rights, grant applications, financial statements and requests for school visits. Correspondents include Rosemary Lanning, editor at Blackie and Son Limited, Glasgow; Thomas Nelson Australia; Penguin Books; Omnibus Books; Australia Council; and Children's Book Council of Australia. Includes letters from Chinese friends and associates. Some correspondence refers to Baillie's trip to China in June 1989, at the time of the crisis in Tiananmen Square, an experience which was incorporated into the novel he was then working on, The China coin. Includes one draft out-letter to Rosemary Lanning, dated 22/1/1983.

2-page fax sent to Allan Baillie in hospital re cover art for The China coin, 1991, photocopied for preservation, 2009 (Box 2)