Guide to the Papers of Christopher Koch, 1937-2013

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Summary

Collection number:
MS 6488, MS Acc13.102, MS Acc14.142
Creator:
Koch, Christopher John
Extent:
6.93 metres and (42 ms boxes + 1 medium folio box + 1 archives box)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Christopher Koch, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file/items number(s)]'
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Part available for research; part permission required for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:
Papers of Christopher Koch were accumlated over the course of his career. They comprise largely correspondence, drafts and proof of novels, travel ephemera, diaries, research notes, photographs, slides, notebooks, commentaries, radio transcripts, articles and clippings. Notable correspondents include Larry McMurtry, Jean-François Vernay, Vivian Smith, Les Murray, Roland Robinson, Ray Mathew, Douglas Stewart, Kenneth Slessor, Sophie Masson, Cynthia Blanche and William Hartmann. Stage and screenplay script adaptations for The year of living dangerously are complimented by production photographs, notes from literary agents, screenplay writers and directors such as Peter Weir. There are a number photographs and transparencies with portraits of Koch as well as a collection of black and white photographs relating to cameraman Neil Davis. Objects interfiled in the awards series include the Priestley Medal, the Tasmanian Government Arts Award, 2000 Fairlight Talking Book Awards and the Estonian Award.
Biographical Note:

Christopher Koch was born in Tasmania, Hobart and graduated with honours from the University of Tasmania with degrees in English and philosophy. Before becoming a full-time author, he worked as a radio producer for the Australian Broadcasting Service in Sydney. After publishing his first novel The Boys in the Island (1958), Koch undertook a UNESCO Mission travelling to Indonesia in 1968. The following year he wrote his second novel Across the sea wall. His real breakthrough came with his novel The year of living dangerously (1978) which shared the Book of the Year Award and the National Book Council Award. The novel was then made into a movie in 1982.

Koch travelled to China, Europe and India where he obtained material for his work, publishing eight more novels over his career. His works were widely published overseas in the 1970's and 1980's and adapted for film and stage. Koch's contribution to Australian literature attracted many awards and honours including Order of Australia in 1995, the Miles Franklin Award for Doubleman in 1985, and Highways to a war in 1996. Koch died on September 23, 2013 at the age of 81 in Tasmania.

Collection Retrieval Advice:

Please note: each class in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there are multiple Box 1's). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.

Provenance:

The initial two instalments of papers were acquired from Christopher Koch in 1981 and 2013. The final instalment was acquired from Koch's publisher, Margaret Connolly, in 2014.

Access and use

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-vn2167393).
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 Christopher Koch, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file/items number(s)]'
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact:
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