There is a considerable degree of overlap between the writers represented in the three principal series of correspondence (CQA1-3). Researchers interested in a specific author are therefore advised to consult all three series.
This subgroup is comprised of papers relating in some way to CQ writers and to contributions submitted for publication in the journal. Much of the material dates from 1966 onwards, following the move from Hull to Manchester, although some correspondence from the earlier period survives. The run of correspondence with contributors and potential contributors is extensive; it includes letters from well-known poets, novelists, writers of short fiction, critics and reviewers. The CQ 'issue files' consist of manuscripts and corrected proof copies of CQ contributions, arranged into files according to the issue in which they were published; these have a strong emphasis on poetry, although from the later years critical articles and short stories also survive. There is also a collection of manuscripts and proof copies of poems, fiction, articles and reviews which were not ultimately published in the journal. In addition, there are biographical notes on many CQ writers of the late 1970s and 1980s, supplied for inclusion in the 'Notes on Contributors' section of the journal.