Menna Gallie Papers (Archif Menywod Cymru / Women's Archive of Wales),

Papers of Menna Gallie including papers relating to her role as a writer, such as drafts of her novels, drafts of her translations of Un Nos Ola Leuad (Denbigh, 1961) and four chapters of Afal Drwg Adda, (Denbigh, 1973); talks and lectures given by her on a number of subjects; radio transcripts of talks; letters discussing literary matters; reviews of her works; articles written by Menna Gallie; notebooks and publishing contracts. There are also some personal papers which include letters, papers relating to the death of her mother and other miscellaneous items.

Menna Gallie, novelist, was born in 1920 in the mining village of Ystradgynlais in the Swansea Valley, and was brought up there and later in Creunant. Both parents were Welsh speakers; her father a North-Walian craftsman, and her mother a local woman. She graduated in 1940 in English at Swansea University. In the same year she married a Scotsman named Bryce Gallie, who was a philosophy lecturer at the same University. Following the end of the war in which Bryce Gallie had served, they moved to Keele following Bryce Gallie's appointment on the teaching staff of Keele University. Between 1954 and around 1967, they lived in Northern Ireland. During this period they also lived in America for a year, probably in 1962. The couple lived in Cambridge from around 1967 until 1978 before finally moving back to Wales to Newport, Pembrokeshire. Menna Gallie's first novel Strike for a Kingdom was published in 1959 and was based in industrial South Wales. Man's Desiring followed in 1960 and The Small Mine in 1962. Six years passed before her next novel Travels With a Duchess, 1969, followed by You're Welcome to Ulster, 1970. Her translation of Caradog Prichard's novel Un Nos Ola Leuad was published under the title Full Moon in 1973, and she also began translating his autobiography Afal Drwg Adda (Denbigh, 1973), and then wrote a leaflet on Pembrokeshire, Little England's Other Half (1974). Later, she published another novel, In These Promiscuous Parts in 1986. She died in 1990 aged 70.

Arranged in two groups: literary papers and personal papers.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.

Donated by the family of Menna Gallie, per Archif Menywod Cymru/Women's Archive of Wales, August 2000.; A2000/67

Menna Gallie, novelist, was born in 1920 in the mining village of Ystradgynlais in the Swansea Valley, and was brought up there and later in Creunant. Both parents were Welsh speakers; her father a North-Walian craftsman, and her mother a local woman. She graduated in 1940 in English at Swansea University. In the same year she married a Scotsman named Bryce Gallie, who was a philosophy lecturer at the same University. Following the end of the war in which Bryce Gallie had served, they moved to Keele following Bryce Gallie's appointment on the teaching staff of Keele University. Between 1954 and around 1967, they lived in Northern Ireland. During this period they also lived in America for a year, probably in 1962. The couple lived in Cambridge from around 1967 until 1978 before finally moving back to Wales to Newport, Pembrokeshire. Menna Gallie's first novel Strike for a Kingdom was published in 1959 and was based in industrial South Wales. Man's Desiring followed in 1960 and The Small Mine in 1962. Six years passed before her next novel Travels With a Duchess, 1969, followed by You're Welcome to Ulster, 1970. Her translation of Caradog Prichard's novel Un Nos Ola Leuad was published under the title Full Moon in 1973, and she also began translating his autobiography Afal Drwg Adda (Denbigh, 1973), and then wrote a leaflet on Pembrokeshire, Little England's Other Half (1974). Later, she published another novel, In These Promiscuous Parts in 1986. She died in 1990 aged 70.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at NLW.

February 2002.

Compiled by Nia Wyn Griffiths.

The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Cydymaith i Lenyddiaeth Cymru, (Caerdydd : Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru, 1997); foreword by Angela V. John to the reprint of Travels with a Duchess (Dinas Powys : Honno, 1996); an article by Angela Fish, 'Flight-deck of experience', The New Welsh Review, (Number 18, volume 5, October 1992);

Copyright in material written by Menna Gallie belongs to her grand daughter, Rhiannon Davies, Pontcanna, Cardiff (February 2013).

Action: All of Menna Gallie's papers donated to the National Library of Wales have been retained..

Accruals are not expected.

Further correspondence, literary manuscripts and papers, 1956-1971, of Menna Gallie are held at Boston University Library (see National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, 1985, p.13); her recorded memoirs of her life and career are in the South Wales Coalfield Collection, AUD/544 in Swansea University Archives. A print of Rosslyn Castle is NLW Special Collections, accession number 0200202185.

Published