Anna Grimshaw papers, 1939-2004, bulk 1983-1995
Collection context
- Creator:
- Grimshaw, Anna
- Abstract:
- These papers contain correspondence, manuscripts and drafts, interview transcripts, and printed material related to the autobiography / biography—which was never completed—of C.L.R. James, a writer, teacher and political activist from the West Indies, and to various C.L.R. James related projects which Anna Grimshaw, his one time assistant, undertook or on which she collaborated.
- Extent:
- 5 linear feet 8 boxes; 5 document boxes and 3 record storage cartons
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
-
These papers include correspondence, manuscripts and drafts, interview transcripts, and printed material related to the autobiography / biography--which was never completed--of writer, teacher and political activist C.L.R. James, and to various C.L.R. James related projects on which Anna Grimshaw worked.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Anna Grimshaw (b. 1956) was an assistant and editor for C.L.R. James--a West Indian writer, teacher and political activist--from 1983 until his death in 1989. Grimshaw, a native of Lancashire, grew up not far from Nelson, the town where James lived when he first arrived in England in 1932. She received her education at Cambridge University--a BA in 1977 and a PhD in Social Anthropology in 1984. Indian writer Farrukh Dhondy, a mutual friend of Grimshaw and James, introduced the pair early in 1983; Grimshaw was hired some months later to help James complete his autobiography, a project on which he had been working with a variety of assistants since the 1970s. The project was unfinished at James' death. Although the autobiography was never completed Grimshaw did help James edit his cricket writings and she provided friendship and aid in his last days. During the final few months of James' life Grimshaw moved into a house across the street from him.
Anna Grimshaw edited, wrote or contributed to a variety of C.L.R. James projects: she edited Cricket by C.L.R. James (Allison and Busby, 1986) and The C.L.R. James Reader (Blackwell, 1991); with Keith Hart she edited and introduced American Civilization (Blackwell, 1993); she also edited and introduced Special Delivery: The Letters of C.L.R. James to Constance Webb, 1939-1948 (Blackwell, 1996); she wrote the foreward for The Nobbie Stories for Children and Adults (University of Nebraska, 2006); and she edited and introduced a later version of Cricket--Majestic Inning: Writings on Cricket (Aurum Press, 2006).
The C.L.R. James Institute published several pamphlets written by Grimshaw or on which she collaborated including: "C.L.R. James and 'The Struggle for Happiness'" with Keith Hart; "Popular Democracy and the Creative Imagination: The Writings of C.L.R. James 1950-1963"; "C.L.R. James: A Revolutionary Vision for the 20th Century" ; and "C.L.R. James in the 1980s: A Conversation with Anna Grimshaw", with Kent Worcester and Jim Murray.
Grimshaw also authored the exhibition catalogue C.L.R. James: Man of the People (London, 1986).
Currently Grimshaw is an Associate Professor in the Graduate Institute of Liberal Arts at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. Her research centers on visual anthropology, specifically ethnographic cinema.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
This collection has no restrictions.
- Terms of access:
-
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:
-
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Anna Grimshaw Papers; Box and Folder (if known); Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
- 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