Literary papers of Cecil Roberts, author and journalist, 1938-1954

The collection comprises:

• Manuscript of the poem 'A Man Arose', first published in June 1941 by Hodder and Stoughton, March 1941 (MS 130/1).
• Manuscript and a signed printed copy of the book Achievement: Fifty years' progress of Boots Pure Drug Co Ltd, 1888-1938first published in 1939 by Boots Ltd, c.1938 (MS 130/2).
• Note by Cecil Roberts to Lady Clark regarding his novel A Terrace in the SunJanuary 1951 (MS 130/3).
• Letter from Cecil Roberts to Lady Clark, August 1954 (MS 130/4).

Cecil Edric Mornington Roberts was born in Nottingham on 18 May 1892 and was educated at Mundella Grammar School. After leaving school at the age of 15 he was employed by the Corporation of Nottingham in the weights and measures office. He spent his spare time reading and writing and won the Henry Kirke White poetry prize awarded by University College Nottingham in 1912 with 'The Trent'. By that year his poetry had also been published in The Contemporary Review and The Poetry Review. His first collection of poems, Phyllistrata and Other Poems was published in 1913 by James Clarke.

In 1914, his career as a critic began when he was offered a job with The Liverpool Post. This was followed by posts with The Nottingham JournalThe Sphereand The Daily Telegraph. Roberts spent much of his later life living in Italy. It was there that he met and became friends with the British ambassador in Rome and his wife, Sir Henry Ashley and Lady Clarke. Roberts died in 1976.

Roberts' works included the novels, Scissors (1923), Little Miss Manington (1926), Victoria Four-Thirty (1937), A Terrace in the Sun (1951), and Pilgrim Cottage (1933). Travel books and biographies included Gone Rustic (1934), And so to Bath (1930), And so to America (1946), and And so to Rome (1950).

The collection has been arranged in order of accession by the Department.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

• Other collections listed through the National Register of Archives; the National Union Catalogue of Manuscript Collections and in the Location Register of Twentieth Century English Literary Manuscripts and Letters published by the British Library.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from this collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this can be difficult and the responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishing to publish.

LANGUAGE: English

The manuscript of 'A Man Arose' was given to The University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts in June 1961 and the manuscript and printed copy of Achievement was given in May 1965. The note and letter to Lady Clarke were acquired by the Department in July 1970 and November 1974 respectively.

• Cambridge University, Churchill College; Churchill Archives Centre: 15 boxes of diaries, correspondence and books of Cecil Roberts, 1913-1975. RBTS
• Nottinghamshire Archives: manuscripts and correspondence of Cecil Roberts, 1914-1974. various

• Roberts, Cecil, A Man Arose (Hodder and Stoughton; London, 1941)
• Roberts, Cecil, Achievement (Boots Pure Drug Co Ltd; Nottingham, 1939)