Letters to John Davenport

Eighty letters, 1939-1966, to John Davenport, literary critic and friend of Dylan Thomas, much of the correspondence relating to literary matters (ff. 1-91). There are references to Thomas throughout, including detailed (and contrasting) accounts, by John Malcolm Brinnin (ff. 12-13) and George Reavey (ff. 71-72 verso), of events surrounding his death.
The correspondents include Kingsley Amis, 1955-1965 (ff. 1-6), John Malcolm Brinnin, 1952-1953 (ff. 11-13), Walford Davies, 1963-1965 (ff. 16-23), Constantine FitzGibbon, 1950-1966 (ff. 27-52), Glyn Jones, March-April 1965 (ff. 57-59), T. H. Jones, 9 November 1961 (f. 60), George Reavey, [November 1953] (ff. 71-72), Roger Roughton, 1939-1940 (ff. 73-80), Caitlin Thomas, 1947-[?1952] (ff. 81-85, including a postcard also signed by Dylan Thomas), and Vernon Watkins, 1956-1965 (ff. 86-90). Also included are further papers relating to Dylan Thomas, comprising manuscript notes by Davenport, [1956x1966] (ff. 92-100); a postcard, [?1950], to Thomas from Jack Lindsay in Prague (f. 101); a typescript, 10 November 1953, of a radio obituary to Thomas by Davenport (ff. 102-104); a typescript article, [mid-1950s], on Thomas by Davenport (ff. 105-114); and press cuttings, 1954-1965 (ff. 115-121). A typescript table of contents is ff. i-iii. Three of the Kingsley Amis letters (ff. 1, 2, 4) are published in The Letters of Kingsley Amis, ed. by Zachary Leader (London, 2000) (pp. 448-50, 464-5, 527-8).

Correspondence arranged alphabetically by surname at NLW.

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Sotheby's; London; Purchased at auction, lots 549, 556, 573, 574 and 576; 29 July 1977.

Title based on contents.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 14934E.

October 2007 and July 2014.

Description compiled by Bethan Ifan, and revised by Rhys Morgan Jones

Usual copyright laws apply. Information regarding ownership of copyright of John Davenport and various correspondents can be found at http://tyler.hrc.utexas.edu/ (viewed July 2014).

Item: 1.1 Loose Manuscript Documents (NLW MS 14934E). Action: Condition reviewed. Action identifier: 4437308. Date: 20031021. Authorization: Selected for conservation. Authorizing institution: NLW. Action agent: J. Thomas. Status: Loose Manuscript Documents (NLW MS14934E) : Small tears in a few items. Institution: WlAbNL.
Item: 1.2 Loose Manuscript Documents (NLW MS 14934E). Action: Conserved. Action identifier: 4437308. Date: 20041203. Authorizing institution: NLW. Action agent: A. Pugh. Status: Loose Manuscript Documents (NLW MS 14934E) : Repaired documents, guarded and filed and lettered in black. Institution: WlAbNL.

Sold at Sotheby's by the heirs of John Davenport.

For letters, 1938-1961, from Augustus John to John Davenport see NLW MS 21585E; letters of Dylan Thomas to Davenport are Austin, University of Texas, Harry Ransom Center, Dylan Thomas Collection, Box 8, Folders 6-8.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales