Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- [1950]-[1981] (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
0.086 cubic metres (3 boxes); 5 large boxes (July 2018).
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Professor David Gwyn Williams (1904-1990) was a poet, novelist and translator. He was born at Port Talbot, Glamorgan, and attended the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Jesus College, Oxford. He lectured at the Universities of Cairo, Alexandria, Benghazi, and Istanbul, 1935-1969, becoming Professor of English Language and Literature. He then lived in his grandfather's house in Trefenter, Cardiganshire, until 1983, when he moved to Aberystwyth. He was married with five children, and died in 1990. He wrote a variety of works, including translations of Welsh poetry into English, collected as To Look For a Word (Llandysul, 1976); novels including This Way to Lethe (London, 1962) and The Avocet (Swansea, 1970); poetry, Inns of Love (Swansea, 1970), Foundation Stock (Llandysul, 1974), Choose Your Stranger (Port Talbot, 1979) and Y Ddefod Goll (Port Talbot, 1980); an adaptation of Troelus a Chresyd (Llandysul, 1976); Person and Persona (Cardiff, 1978), a collection of Shakespearean studies; An Introduction to Welsh Literature (Cardiff, 1978); The Land Remembers (London, 1977), based on scripts for a BBC TV series; an autobiography, ABC of (D.) G. W. (Llandysul, 1981); and four travel books.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Professor D. Gwyn Williams; Trefenter, Dyfed; Donation; 1982, 1983.
Mr Gwydion Williams (son); Aboyne; Donation; July 2018; 99126394602419.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Literary papers of Professor Gwyn Williams including typescript texts of This Way to Lethe with notes and correspondence, [c. 1962]; notes for The Avocet, [c. 1970]; material relating to his poetry collections including manuscript and typescript drafts, [1970]-[1980]; typescript and manuscript texts for Troelus a Chresyd, 1954-[1976]; papers relating to Person and Persona, [c. 1981], An Introduction to Welsh Literature, [c. 1978], and ABC of (D.) G. W., [c. 1981]; material relating to translations of Welsh poetry, [1950]-[1976]; material relating to The Land Remembers book and series, [c. 1977]; radio scripts, 1954; texts, drafts, notes, correspondence, maps and photographs relating to his travel writing, [1963]-[1975]; and correspondence with publishers and the BBC, 1951-1978.
Additional literary papers including manuscript works and notes, typescript poems, plays, articles and reviews were received in July 2018; a list and bibliography compiled by the family are inserted in the first box.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
All records donated to the National Library of Wales have been retained.
Accruals
Accruals are not expected.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.
Conditions governing reproduction
Usual copyright laws apply.
Language of material
- English
- Welsh
Script of material
Language and script notes
English, Welsh.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
A hard copy of the catalogue is available in Minor Lists and Summaries, 1983, pp. 64-66, at the National Library of Wales.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents of fonds.
Alternative identifier(s)
Virtua system control number
Project identifier
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Williams, Gwyn, 1904-1990 -- Archives (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Description follows ANW guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd ed.; AACR2; and LCSH
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
December 2003
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
The following sources were used to compile this description: National Library of Wales, Minor Lists and Summaries 1983; Stephens, Meic, Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales (Oxford, 1986); Daily Telegraph, 2 January 1991.
Archivist's note
Compiled by Rhys Jones for the ANW project.