Guide to the Papers of Morris West, 1916-2005

Summary

Collection number:

MS 7171

Creator:

West, Morris

Extent:

11.40 metres and (36 ms boxes + 6 folio boxes + 1 medium phase box + 1 map folio + 3 oversized objects + 48 sound/av carriers)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as [Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Morris West, National Library of Australia, MS 7171, [class/series/file/item number(s)].

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Part available for research; part requires permission for research until 2023; part not available for research until 2051. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

This collection comprises papers that document West's life and career over a substantial period of time. A large group of the papers relate to West's writings and include manuscript drafts of many of his novels; scripts for plays; scripts for film adaptations of several of his novels; drafts of articles he wrote; and typescripts of speeches. There are newspaper and journal cuttings of articles written by or about West, together with reviews of many of his publications. There is also correspondence relating to publication of West's book and also certificates and significant literary awards he received. Other correspondence includes letters between West and his friend G. Emmett Cardinal Carter, Archbishop Emeritus of Toronto, letters to West from Alfred Hitchcock, Estee Lauder, Pat[ricia] Nixon, HM Queen Frederica of Greece, and Miles, Duke of Norfolk and carbon copies of West's letters to Father Tony Glynn in Japan. Also included are condolences received by West's family on his death in 1999.

Other papers comprise photographs; biographical information in the form of transcripts of interviews; cassette recordings of interviews or talks given by him on radio and at events; ephemera; sketchbooks with drawings by West and invitations to events for significant people. As part of his research for an unrealised project, West acquired a group of files relating to the 'Orr Case'. Much of the content of the files seems to have been compiled by Orr himself, and these files are included in the collection.

Biographical Note:

Morris Langlo West was born 26 April 1916, in Melbourne, Victoria. He graduated with a BA from the University of Melbourne in 1937. As a member of the Christian Brothers order, West taught modern languages and mathematics in New South Wales and Tasmania from 1933 until he joined the army in 1939, having left the order before taking his final vows. He served with the AIF in the South Pacific and it was during this time that he wrote his first book, A Moon in my Pocket, based on his experiences in the religious order. West published it under the pseudonym Julian Morris, one of two he used, the other being Michael East. In 1943 West was briefly secretary to William Morris Hughes, former Prime Minister of Australia. After his discharge from the Army, West worked for the next two years as a publicity manager at the Murdoch owned Radio Station 3DB in Melbourne, during which time he learnt how to write and produce radio plays. He left to set up his own company, Australasian Radio Productions, and spent the next ten years producing radio serials and dramas.

In 1955 West left the business and moved overseas to work as a writer, living variously in Italy, Austria, England and the United States. Although he had previously written several novels, West's first popular success was Children of the Sun, published in 1957, a nonfiction account of the slum children of Naples. West went on to become an internationally renowned author, publishing over 30 books, writing plays and working on film adaptations of several of his works. Many of his most successful books combined religion and political intrigue with an international setting and topical subjects. In 1996, West published his autobiography, A View from the Ridge: the Testimony of Pilgrim. As well as his works of fiction, West was a prolific contributor of articles to journals and newspapers, providing commentary on a wide range of current affairs.

In the early 1980s, West returned to live in Australia, settling in Sydney.

In 1983 West donated a sum of money to the National Library of Australia for the establishment of the Morris West Trust. The money was to be used for the publishing and disseminating of historic, literary, artistic and other material of national value held in the collections of the National Library. Several significant publications have resulted from this bequest. In May 1985, West was appointed Chairman of the Council of the National Library of Australia, a position he held until May 1988.

West received a number of awards in recognition of his success as a writer. They include the National Conference of Christian and Jews Brotherhood Award (1960); Royal Society of Literature Heinemann Award (1960); James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and Dag Hammarskjöld Prize (1978); and the Universe Prize (1980). He was admitted as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (1960) and the World Academy of Arts and Sciences (1964). In 1985 Morris West was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia and awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1997 in recognition of his services to literature and cultural life. West also received honorary degrees from several universities.

West married twice. His first marriage was to Elizabeth Harvey, with whom he had two children. His second, in 1953, was to Joyce Lawford, with whom he had four children.

West was working on the draft of his novel, The Last Confession, when he died, pen in hand, at his desk on 9 October 1999. The novel was published posthumously in 2000.

Provenance:

Approximately half the collection was acquired from West in a number of instalments under the Cultural Gifts Program during the period 1983 to 1992. A further large instalment of papers was donated to the Library in 2001 by West's widow, Joy, following his death in 1999. Two smaller additions were received in 2016 and 2018 from West's family.

Arrangement:

The papers in the original consignment were received in a number of instalments from 1983-2001. A brief box listing was created by the National Library on receipt of the first instalment and this was updated as subsequent instalments were received.

On receipt of what was assumed to be the final instalment of papers in 2001, a decision was made by the National Library to rearrange the papers and describe the collection in more detail. As a result, the papers were grouped into series determined by the Library. Many of the papers were in files compiled by West, and these were kept intact within the relevant series. The descriptions in this guide contain details which will allow researchers to easily identify the location of papers they may have access using the earlier guide.

In 2016 a small addition to the collection was received from West's family. A box list describing the contents of this consignment has been added to the original list.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Literature
Theology

Conditions Governing Access:

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2285477).

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as [Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Morris West, National Library of Australia, MS 7171, [class/series/file/item number(s)].

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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