Christine Tilley letters received from Mona Brand, 1969-2001

MLMSS 8290

fonds

1969-2001

Textual Records, Clippings

421202

0.17 metres of textual material (1 box)

Mona Alexis Brand (1915-2007), poet, playwright and author was born in Sydney in 1915. She worked as an advertising copywriter in Sydney and Melbourne after leaving school and during World War I became an industrial social welfare worker in munition factories. From 1945-1948 she was a research assistant in the Industrial Welfare Division of the Department of Labour and National Service. During this period she was a member of the Melbourne Realist Writers.

After living in London and travelling extensively in Europe from 1948-1954, she married journalist, poet and labour historian Len Fox (1905-2004) in 1955, and during 1956 and 1957 they taught English in Hanoi. Brand became associated with the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship (1958-1968), editing its broadsheet until 1967. From 1966-1972 she conducted a number of courses on creative writing for adults.

Three volumes of Brand's poetry had been published by 1946. In the mid 1940s she turned to drama, and writing for the theatre became her main interest. Sydney's New Theatre produced many of her plays and satirical sketches, which reflected Brand's strong commitment to peace and socialism. Her work has been performed on stage, radio and television in Australia, England, Eastern Europe and India.

Brand's published works include four collections of verse, numerous plays, three educational books for schools, and her autobiography, Enough blue sky, which appeared in 1995.

Christine Tilley was Mona Brand's bibliographer.

Reference:
Library correspondence file

Letters received by Christine Tilley from Mona Brand spanning three decades, including newspaper clippings, copies of articles, corrections, feedback, etc. They include details of Brand's own work, those of her contemporaries, and the period in which they were writing. Brand provides detailed information for Tilley's compilation of her bibliography, and also discusses Australian playwrights and playwriting, New Theatre, and Nimrod Theatre, etc.

Folder 1: 1969-1979

Folder 2: 1980-1989

Folder 3: 1990-2001

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Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

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