Edmund Blunden papers, 1922-1986
Collection context
- Creator:
- Blunden, Edmund, 1896-1974
- Extent:
- 8 linear feet circa 2600 items in 20 boxes
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
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Correspondence, manuscripts, documents, photographs and printed material of the English poet and critic, Edmund Blunden, documenting his personal and professional activity. Blunden's letters to his second wife, Sylva Norman, and his secretary, Aki Hayashi, are particularly well represented. Also included are many letters addressed to Blunden by eminent literary figures such as John Betjeman, George Orwell, Siegfried Sassoon, Stephen Spender, and Henry Williamson. Other literary correspondents are Adrian Bell, Joyce Cary, Richard Church, C. Day Lewis, Walter de la Mare, Graham Greene, H.D., William Plomer, Kathleen Raine, and Leonard Woolf. A substantial portion of the cataloged correspondence contains drawings, verse fragments and poems by Blunden which have been analyzed. Also present are eleven of Blunden's diaries, 1936-1967, which contain drafts of a number of poems. In addition, the collection contains a small number of autograph manuscripts of Edmund Blunden's literary works.
- Biographical / historical:
-
English poet and critic. Born November 1, 1896 and died January 20, 1974. A noted poet and scholar Blunden served in the Royal Sussex Regiment 1916-1919. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1917.
Blunden was a scholar of the English Romantic poets and brought the attention of the literary world to the poetry of John Clare. He began his literary career under the direction of Middleton Murry at The Athenaeum 1920. He taught English Literature at Toyko University 1924-27 and was a fellow and tutor in English literature at Merton College from 1931 to 1943. He was a professor of English at the University of Hong Kong from 1953 to 1964 and held the Chair of Poetry at Oxford University from 196 to 1968.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
This collection has no restrictions.
This collection is located on-site.
- Terms of access:
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Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
- Preferred citation:
-
Processes by Henry Rowen, 7/75; Patrick Lawlor, David Donabedian, John McW, 7/75; John Roe, 1/94; Henry Rowen 6/96, 3/97, and 5/2000.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
- Contact:
- rbml@library.columbia.edu