Peter Finch Papers

Papers of Peter Finch, comprising early poetry and literature, early typescripts, manuscripts, several hundred files and note books, proofs and research for the Real Cardiff trilogy, some files about the Writers Handbook, and correspondence, together with material accumulated through his involvement with the Association of Little Presses, including fanzines, unofficial publications, and experimental and amateur publications. The archive includes many aspects of Finch’s work, notably his concrete verse, visual poetry, sound poetry, found poetry and collage poems, and it reflects his technical experimentation with poems created on typewriters, word processors and photocopy machines.

Peter Finch is an internationally known poet, writer and critic, and was born in Cardiff in 1947. He sometimes writes in traditional literary forms, but he is best known for his interest and innovation in experimental literature, especially concrete, found and sound poetry. His writing process has evolved in tandem with the forefront of technological advances, often using computers, images, sound, video, e-mail and webpages. He has published more than 25 volumes of poetry, and has also written critical works relating to poetry publishing in the UK.
Beginning in the late 1960s, Finch organised poetry readings in Cardiff and contributed to the pioneering and influential literary magazine, Second Aeon, which he edited until 1974. He was also treasurer of the Association of Little Presses from the 1970s until the 1990s, and was responsible for the Arts Council of Wales’s specialist Oriel Bookshop in Cardiff in the same period. His interest in performance poetry also led him to become a founder member of Cabaret 246 and the trio Horse's Mouth in the 1980s and 1990s. From 1998-2011 he was the Chief Executive of Literature Wales. He now spends his time writing, and also appears at many literary readings and festivals. Finch’s later work includes psychogeographies of the Severn estuary and alternative literary guides to Cardiff, including the Real Cardiff trilogy. He has received a number of awards.

Arranged as found.

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Purchase; Peter Finch ; Cardiff ; February 2012 and September 2012 ; 006226778

Peter Finch is an internationally known poet, writer and critic, and was born in Cardiff in 1947. He sometimes writes in traditional literary forms, but he is best known for his interest and innovation in experimental literature, especially concrete, found and sound poetry. His writing process has evolved in tandem with the forefront of technological advances, often using computers, images, sound, video, e-mail and webpages. He has published more than 25 volumes of poetry, and has also written critical works relating to poetry publishing in the UK.
Beginning in the late 1960s, Finch organised poetry readings in Cardiff and contributed to the pioneering and influential literary magazine, Second Aeon, which he edited until 1974. He was also treasurer of the Association of Little Presses from the 1970s until the 1990s, and was responsible for the Arts Council of Wales’s specialist Oriel Bookshop in Cardiff in the same period. His interest in performance poetry also led him to become a founder member of Cabaret 246 and the trio Horse's Mouth in the 1980s and 1990s. From 1998-2011 he was the Chief Executive of Literature Wales. He now spends his time writing, and also appears at many literary readings and festivals. Finch’s later work includes psychogeographies of the Severn estuary and alternative literary guides to Cardiff, including the Real Cardiff trilogy. He has received a number of awards.

Preferred citation: Peter Finch Papers

May 2017

Compiled by David Moore. The following sources were used in the creation of this description: Peter Finch's website (viewed April and May 2017); papers within the archive.

Usual restrictions apply.

All records donated to NLW have been retained.

The archive remained in Peter Finch's possession until it was purchased by the Library.

Accruals are possible.

National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales VM 8794-VM 8810 comprises one box of tapes transferred from this archive (19/12/2012), and further letters and other papers of Peter Finch are in Harri Webb Papers, Emyr Humphreys Papers, Welsh Academy Papers, Planet Papers, Rowland Mathias Papers and Alison Bielski Papers.

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Previous description identifier: VTLS 6226778

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales