Literary papers and publications of Barbara Taylor Bradford, with related materials

This material is held atUniversity of Leeds Special Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 206 Brotherton Collection MS 20c Bradford/1
  • Dates of Creation
    • c 1940 - 2008
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 86 boxes 36 vols and 33 videotapes manuscript, typescript, photographs, postcards, press cuttings, and printed material (some photocopy).; Includes 33 videotapes, 1 cassette tape recording, and 12 transparencies.

Scope and Content

Comprises:

1) 36 copies of Barbara Taylor Bradford's novels in English or foreign languages, and 11 videotapes covering 7 of her novels;

2) 77 boxes containing typescript drafts of her novels with autograph manuscript annotations and printers' proofs of some of them, including:

(a) 'A Woman of Substance' (4 boxes), (b) 'Voice of the Heart' (3 boxes), (c) 'Hold the Dream' (7 boxes), (d) 'Act of Will' (4 boxes), (e) 'To be the Best' (5 boxes), (f) 'The Women in his Life' (10 boxes), (g) 'Remember' (4 boxes), (h) 'Angel' (5 boxes), (i) 'Everything to Gain' (3 boxes), (j) 'Dangerous to Know' (1 box), (k) 'Love in another Town' (1 box), (l) 'Her own Rules' (2 boxes), (m) 'A Secret Affair' (1 box), (n) 'Power of a Woman' (1 box), (o) 'A Sudden Change of Heart' (2 boxes), (p) 'Where you belong' (2 boxes), (q) 'The Triumph of Katie Byrne' (2 boxes), (r) 'Three Weeks in Paris' (4 boxes), (s) 'Emma's Secret' (4 boxes), (t) 'Unexpected Blessings' (3 boxes), (u) 'Just Rewards' (2 boxes), (v) 'The Ravenscar Dynasty' (4 boxes), (w) 'Heirs Of Ravenscar' ('The Heir' in North America) (4 boxes), and (x) 'Being Elizabeth' (1 box);

3) 2 boxes of press cuttings, chiefly concerning her earlier novels, including publicity for and reviews of 'A Woman of Substance' (2 envelopes), 'Voice of the Heart' (2 envelopes), 'Hold the Dream' (1 envelope), and 'Act of Will' (1 envelope), but also concerning several of her other novels, and including some popular magazines which featured articles concerning her life and work;

4) 1 box of personalia, including several groups of photographs of Mrs Bradford at various ages from childhood to later life, both black and white and colour, either alone or at various functions, including her visits to the University of Leeds in 1988 and 1990, notably in the Brotherton Library; her correspondence with the University Librarian, Mr R.P. Carr, concerning the deposit of her literary archive in the Brotherton Collection in 1988, and with the latter and the Vice-Chancellor, Sir Edward Parkes, concerning the conferment of her Honorary Doctorate of Letters in May 1990, and later correspondence with others concerning the deposit of further material in the archive; and two programmes for her doctorate degree ceremony dated 11 May 1990, a tape recording of an interview with her conducted by John Dunn on BBC Radio 2 on 17 August 1988, 12 transparencies of Mrs Bradford with senior library staff during her visit to the Brotherton Library while the West Building was in process of construction, and an envelope of typed display cards prepared for the Barbara Taylor Bradford and Yorkshire Writers Exhibition mounted in the Brotherton Library (no date given). 22 videotapes of interviews (in various formats: VHS, Beta, Umatic, etc., housed in 4 boxes).

Access Information

Access to this part of the collection is restricted under the Data Protection Act. You will need to complete a restricted access form and return it to Special Collections for review by staff before access can be granted.

Conditions Governing Use

Material in this collection is in copyright. Photocopies or digital images can only be supplied by the Library for research or private study within the terms of copyright legislation. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain the copyright holder's permission to reproduce for any other purpose. Guidance is available on tracing copyright status and ownership.