Notebook of Berta Ruck, July 1940-June 1941, containing journal entries and comments on the progress of the war. Press cuttings relating to contemporary events, other ephemera and seventy-three letters, postcards and telegrams, May 1940-March 1941, mostly to the author, have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Michael Joseph, 12 July 1940 (f. 2), Harold Nicolson, 3 June 1940 (f. 2 verso), Helen Rees ('Jane Oliver'), 16 August 1940 (f. 10 verso), Robert Owen Morris, 19 August 1940 (f. 12 verso), Maurice Bowra, December 1940-February 1941 (ff. 26, 66 verso), Tony Thorne, August-September 1940 (ff. 32 verso, 35), Dolf Wyllarde, 27 November 1940 (f. 34 verso), Peter Wykeham-Barnes, [December 1940] (f. 35 verso), Alys Meirion, October-December 1940 (ff. 36 verso, 45 verso), Angela Thirkell, 8 November 1940 (f. 45), Edith Heal, 18 December 1940 (f. 47), Marda Vanne, November-December 1940 (ff. 50 verso-51), Bradwell T. Turner, 12 May 1940 (f. 53 verso), and Alec Waugh, 8 January 1941 (f. 54a-b). A photograph of Ruck is on f. 5 verso and there are pen drawings by her on ff. 10, 23. Press cuttings include political cartoons by David Low, from the Evening Standard (ff. 2 verso, 29 verso, 30 verso, 33 verso, 41, 46, 64 verso-65), and items relating to the deaths of John Llewelyn Rees (ff. 8 verso, 11, 68) and Amy Johnson (ff. 51 verso, 63 verso). Programmes for Christmas events in Aberdyfi and Tywyn, December 1940, are on ff. 38 verso and 48.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, December 1939-May 1940, containing journal entries, comments on the progress of the war and notes for fiction. Press cuttings relating to contemporary events, other ephemera and some sixty-nine letters, postcards and Christmas cards, mostly to the author, have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Oliver Onions, 25 December 1939 (f. 20), Arthur Oliver, December 1939-May 1940 (ff. 2b, 20 verso, 51, 57, 63-65 verso), Vicki Baum, 25 November 1939 (f. 2), Edith Heal, [December 1939] (ff. 2a, 20 verso), Anthony Thorne, December 1939, March 1940 (ff. 7 verso, 56 verso), Osbert Sitwell, Christmas [1939] (f. 19 verso), Ménie Muriel FitzGerald, [1939] (f. 22 verso), Naomi Jacob, [December 1939] (f. 26 verso), Alys Meirion, 29 December [1939] (f. 27), Lieut-Cmdr Bradwell T. Turner, [February 1940] (f. 47 verso), Alec Waugh, [December 1939] (f. 51 verso), Sir Kenneth Barnes, 4 April 1940 (f. 57 verso), and Horace Horsnell, 2 April 1940 (f. 58). One letter from 'Effie', [January 1940], discusses the state of Ménie Muriel FitzGerald's health (f. 35 verso). The press cuttings include several political cartoons relating to the war (ff. 39 verso, 52-53 verso).