Series 2: Manuscripts early writing

MLMSS 11925/Boxes 7-9

series

1948-1974

9675436

0.40 metres of textual material (2 boxes, 4 folders)

Box 7

Juvenilia and other documents including Cowan’s first recorded letter to his Father, who was in Adelaide at the death of his Mother; early school report cards, early transparency of family in Mauritius in house in Curipipe, circa 1960; divorce papers, copy of last Will and Testament, Visa for Mount Athos, 1948-1977

Manuscript first writing efforts, some of which were completed when Cowan was hospitalised with tuberculosis, 1962-1963

“First Seven Stories”, 1964 Typescript drafts ‘The Viewism: A profile’, ‘The Big One’, ‘Conflict of Interest’, ‘Imitations of Grandeur’, ‘Bitter Compulsion’, ‘A Matter of Fear’, ‘Thunder in the Night’

Typescript early pieces, 1964 and Scene I from unnamed play, 1965

Early unpublished typescript short stories up to 1965 including ‘Return to Sydney’, ‘Period of Exhaustion’, ‘The Reprieve’, Freedom in Aspect’, and ‘Soliloquy in a Paris Urinal’

Edited typescript ‘Touch of the Sun’ Part 1, first novel original typescript. Part 2 was never written

Edited typescript stories vintage ‘A Rambling Man’ 1965 (not included in ‘A Rambling Man’, 1966)

First published poems ‘In Macabee Forest’ published in ‘Scrip 13, a quarterly selection of recent poetry’ (Chesterfield, England), and ‘The Fire Within us’ published in Kauri 13, (New York), March-April 1966

Edited typescripts ‘Burning Ground’ drafts 3 and 4

Original typescript of ‘A Hybrid Thing’, an unpublished novel written in Hampshire, England 1968-1969

Original manuscript and typescript written in Castlecrag, NSW Australia, late 1960s including ‘The Initiation’, a hand-drawn map of the Castlecrag area and a list of proposed short stories

Cowan’s first play ‘The Funeral’ written in Piedmont, Italy, 1967; notes on Mauritius

Original typescripts for ‘A Rambling Man’ including ‘The Gerona Rapport’, ‘The Lion and the Dragon’, ‘Homer’s Stone’, ‘The Train Jumpers’, ‘Bald Mountain’, and ‘Up Hill Climb’ published 1966

Early attempts at poetry 1960 onward including correspondence and rejections. Richard Dickinson submitted on his behalf, several poems by Cowan for publication. 1960-1966

Box 8

Early short stories, 1964-1970

Six early short stories, ‘A Singing Fever', 'The Habitue', 'The Pelicans', "Our Time', A Cargo of Flowers', and 'The Stuntman', 1960s

Original drafts of stories for Blackwoods and NZ Listener, 1960s

Early manuscript and typescript drafts for unpublished novel, 1960s

Early short stories including ‘Bald Mountain’, submitted to ‘Southerly ‘Journal, 1960s

Copies of early manuscripts ‘THE Prince of Punt’, 1986 and ‘The Gyrovague’, 1972

Poetry: manuscript first draft ‘African Journal’ nine poems, love poems to Sandra, 1960s

Box 9

Copies of the first printed stories in the New Zealand Listener, 1966-1968

‘Hijack!’ manuscript television script, written in 1974 on Cowan’s return to Sydney
‘Hijack!’ typescript television script, written in 1974 on Cowan’s return to Sydney

Original, lightly edited typescript novel ‘Time and the Season’ (1968) unpublished

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