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Miscellaneous papers of, or relating to, Idris Davies. They include a draft poem, [c. 1945], by Idris Davies; comments by him, dated November 1936, on A. E. Housman, More Poems (London, 1936); and a typescript radio talk, entitled 'The valleys revisited', broadcast 1943. Also included is a postcard from Idris Davies, 1935, two letters to him, 1952 and 1956, and twenty-six letters relating to him, 1954-1983, addressed to the Rev. Islwyn Jenkins, Carmarthen, and including letters from T. S. Eliot, 1955 (f. 23), Glyn Jones, 1954-1968 (ff. 30-33 verso), and Vernon Watkins, 1956 (f. 50).

Letters, 1933-1953, to Idris Davies from over forty correspondents including T. S. Eliot, 1944-1949 (ff. 30, 39, 60), Dylan Thomas, 1949-1953 (ff. 53, 77), Vernon Watkins, 1950 (ff. 62-65 verso, 83), and W. B. Yeats, 1936 (f. 11).

Holograph and typescript copies of poetry by Idris Davies, some in exercise books, among them being drafts of 'Beyond the Black Tips', 'The Valleys of My Fathers' and 'Land of My Fathers' (an early version of Gwalia Deserta (London, 1938)) (vol. I). There are also drafts of over two hundred poems and epigrams.

Holograph and typescript copies and cuttings of poetry by Idris Davies, among them being press and proof copies of The Angry Summer (London, 1943) and a press copy of Tonypandy and Other Poems (London, 1945) (vol. I); a typescript entitled 'The Valleys of My Fathers', with a revised copy entitled 'Gwalia My Song' (vol. II); and drafts of some 200 other poems.

A typescript transcript, [1940x1948], of the diary of Idris Davies for the period 22 August 1939-2 August 1940.

Diaries of Idris Davies: 15, [18?]-21 August 1938 (ff. 1-16 verso), 22 August 1939-2 August 1940 (ff. 19-273 verso; the diaries for 1 January-2 August 1940 show signs of having been edited for publication: see f. 296), 7-23 September 1940 (ff. 275-288 verso), 19 February-17 March 1946 (ff. 291-302 verso), 28 February-2 April 1948 (ff. 305-315 verso) and 1 January-18 February 1951 (ff. 331-340 verso). On f. 342 verso is a draft poem and on f. 355 Idris Davies's personal 'Credo' and a declaration about his poetry (the latter printed in Islwyn Jenkins, Idris Davies of Rhymney (Llandysul, 1986), p. 267).

Miscellaneous prose pieces by Idris Davies, [1930s]-[1940s], comprising an essay entitled 'Teify Side' (ff. 1-3); drafts of a memoir entitled 'A Schoolboy During the Great War' (ff. 4-17); 'Portrait of an Old Welsh Miner' (ff. 18-29); fragment of a novel or short story (ff. 30-4) and draft of the beginning of a novel (ff. 35-9); five brief, surrealistic prose pieces (ff. 40-51); letter to the News Chronicle about a Fascist demonstration in Trafalgar Square, 1937 (ff. 52-7); Holiday in a Mining Valley (ff. 58-73); a Welsh version of 'A Schoolboy During the Great War' (ff. 74-84); and copies of two prose pieces published in Comment, 19 September 1936 and 23 January 1937 (ff. 85-6).

Typescript texts of radio talks by Idris Davies, broadcast 1940-1945, entitled 'A Holiday at Home in a Welsh Mining Valley', 'Naw Mlwydd Oed yn 1914' and 'Memories of Childhood'; together with the script of 'Welsh Poets', an anthology of English verse by Welsh poets, broadcast 1951.

Miscellaneous notes by Idris Davies, [?1933]-[?1951], comprising an essay on 'Poetry & Politics' (ff. 2-6 verso); notes on early Welsh poetry and on Welsh history (ff. 7-22); notes on English literature, apparently for lectures given by Idris Davies to evening classes for the unemployed (ff. 23-56 verso); lecture notes on 'The Anglo-Welsh' (ff. 57-8 verso); draft syllabus of 'A Course in English Literature' (ff. 59-60); notes on 'Literature and Propaganda' (f. 61 recto-verso); miscellaneous literary notes (ff. 62-9); list of poems published in newspapers and periodicals, 1949-1951 (f. 70 recto-verso); and list of poems to be published in an anthology, together with a draft introduction (ff. 71-2).

Notebooks of Idris Davies, 1933-[c. 1944], comprising 'Short Story Subjects' (ff. 1-4); a draft poem (f. 17); fragments of a draft novel about a coal miner's life in the form of a diary (ff. 34-98); two drafts of the beginning of a novel or short story about a miner (ff. 103-11); a work entitled 'The Tales of Lewsin Slant' (ff. 116-33); further memories of Idris Davies's early days as a miner (ff. 151-68 verso); notes on writing (ff. 171-5, draft poem on f. 174 verso), psychology and sex (ff. 179-81); and an autobiographical memoir entitled 'Keats and After' (ff. 187-211 verso).

Two drafts of an incomplete autobiographical work by Idris Davies, [c. 1936], entitled 'Collier Boy' (ff. 1-53); an account of early experiences as a miner (ff. 54-77); a 'Plan For A Novel' set in Rhymney (f. 78 recto-verso); a fragment of a novel or short story (ff. 79-81); a dialogue between William Wordsworth and Greta Garbo (ff. 82-7); an account of the lying-in-state of George V (ff. 88-92); and a short piece looking forward to the publication of A. E. Housman, More Poems (London, 1936) (ff. 93-4).

Corrected page proofs of Idris Davies, Selected Poems (London, 1953).

Miscellaneous poetry by Idris Davies, [?1932]-1953, including an English translation of 'Hiraeth' by R. Williams Parry (f. 16).

Poetry, [?1936]-[?1951], by Idris Davies comprising typescript poems, only one of which (f. 1) appears in any of his published volumes (no. XXXII in Gwalia Deserta), and cuttings of poems published in various newspapers and magazines (ff. 36-40). Some of both the typescript and the published poems bear autograph revision.

A collection of short, epigrammatic poems by Idris Davies, [1947x1948] (see NLW MS 22414C, f. 306, and The Complete Poems of Idris Davies, ed. by Dafydd Johnston (Cardiff, 1994), p. xxix).

Galley proofs of Idris Davies, Selected Poems (London, 1953).

Printed teacher's notebook containing notes of lessons by Idris Davies, September 1942-May 1943, and a considerable number of draft poems, many bearing dates between 1944 and 1948, together with a few prose items.

A collection of poems by Idris Davies, dated 1943-1951 but mostly 1950 or 1951.

Autograph draft of Idris Davies, The Angry Summer (London, 1943).

Incomplete typescript text of Idris Davies, Gwalia Deserta (London, 1938) with a few autograph revisions.