This collection is located on-site.
Rosanna Warren's correspondence is restricted until 2034.
If you would like to use audiovisual materials in Series X, please contact the library in advance of your visit to discuss access options. Items are not readily accessible in their current formats.
Shirley Hazzard (1931-2016) was a novelist, short-story writer, and essayist. She also wrote two non-fiction books about the United Nations. Hazzard was born in Australia, but left the country in 1951, living in New York City and Capri, Italy. The papers include address books, appointment books, audiovisual materials, books, clippings, correspondence, diaries, manuscripts, notebooks, notes, photographs, printed materials, research files.
The Rare Book & Manuscript Library holds the papers of both Shirley Hazzard and her husband, Francis Steegmuller. Many of their papers are intermingled between the two collections, particularly because correspondence and photographs often involved both Hazzard and Steegmuller as a couple after their marriage in 1963. For the most part, it seems that papers were placed in one collection or the other based upon when they were received at the Library. Steegmuller began giving papers to the Library in 1967. Hazzard did not give any papers until 1990, and even then, primarily gave papers related to her writing and other work related to the United Nations. Material that was given prior to Steegmuller's death in 1994, or shortly thereafter, was mostly added to the Steegmuller papers. Later donations, particularly those received after Hazzard's death, were added to the Hazzard papers, with the exception of a few boxes of additional books, manuscripts, and other material that were clearly related only to Steegmuller. This being the case, certain correspondents are filed with the Steegmuller papers, and others are filed with the Hazzard papers. In addition, the majority of their personal photographs are filed with the Hazzard papers.
Materials received after Hazzard's death in 2016 were quite disorganized. For the most part, materials were loosely grouped together but largely unfoldered – correspondence, photographs, professional materials, United Nations materials, writings about, etc. Much of the correspondence was still in envelopes and mixed together in boxes; as it was completely unusable, the processing archivist identified and arranged the correspondence at a granular level. For other materials, including general professional files, United Nations materials, and writings by and about, less granular arrangement was done. Many of these materials were in loose piles; these were housed in folders and described in the finding aid.
The Hazzard papers include a wide range of personal correspondence, and include letters addressed to both Hazzard and Steegmuller. The correspondents include artists, writers, other couples and friends, and the Hazzard family. They also include many women – artists, writers, friends, and wives. The correspondence is primarily incoming, although there are some outgoing copies filed in individual files, as well as two files of miscellaneous outgoing copies filed at the end of the subseries. In addition, a few correspondents gave correspondence received from Hazzard to the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, including Patricia Clarke, Donald Keene, and Carlo Knight.
The collection also contains manuscripts and other materials related to Hazzard's fiction writing. The documentation for Hazzard's last novel, The Great Fire is the most extensive. The collection includes manuscripts, proofs, corrections, professional files, and related materials, as well as awards, clippings, photographs, reviews, and other documentation of appearances and related events. The collection also includes personal material that informed the writing of the novel, including correspondence, a diary, and photographs. The collection also includes manuscripts for Bay of Noon, The Evening of the Holiday, The Transit of Venus, various manuscripts for The New Yorker, and various short fiction manuscripts.
Hazzard also wrote non-fiction. Some this work relates to the United Nations, where Hazzard worked in the 1950s and early 1960s. She wrote two books, Death of An Ideal (1973) and Countenance of Truth (1990), as well as a collection of short stories People in Glass Houses (1967) that were primarily based on the United Nations. The papers include addresses, articles, audiotapes, correspondence, documents, letters to the editor, manuscripts, photographs, and research materials related to this work. Hazzard also wrote other articles and non-fiction work including The Ancient Shore: Dispatches from Naples (2008), with Francis Steegmuller, and Greene on Capri (2000). The papers include a manuscript and other materials related to The Ancient Shore: Dispatches from Naples. Hazzard donated materials related to Graham Greene and Greene on Capri to Georgetown University; there is very little material related to this work in the papers. The papers also include other manuscripts, notes, clippings, magazines, programs, and other non-fiction writings, but most of these are not well organized.
There are professional files in the papers, but most are not well organized. There are a limited number of subject files, as well as some general files of reader mail, and awards (objects). The majority of Hazzard's professional files were unfiled and unsorted; these were foldered and described without additional arrangement. These files primarily consist of correspondence, but also include agreements, royalty statements, and other professional materials. There are also clippings, interviews, reviews, and other writings about Hazzard's professional life in Series VI: Writings By and About; however, these materials were also unfiled and unsorted, and were foldered and described without additional arrangement. There are some professional photographs in Series IX: Photographs, including both professional portraits and events. There are also a small amount of recordings related to professional events in Series X: Audio and Video Recordings.
The papers also contain a wealth of personal materials. Hazzard kept address books, appointment books, diaries, and notebooks. Both the appointment books and notebooks often also served as diaries. These document much of Hazzard's life, from approximately 1948-2013. In addition, there are also vital records, some personal files, and a few pieces of jewelry. The papers also include personal photographs of Hazzard, as well as with Steegmuller and with friends. These photographs also include informal events, parties, and travel photographs. A selection of books from Hazzard's apartment in New York City were also kept with her papers, although most of Hazzard's books were donated elsewhere.
Series I: Cataloged Correspondence, 1976
This series consists of a small amount of correspondence from Norman Cousins.
Series II: Arranged Correspondence, 1927, 1947-2016
This series contains primarily personal correspondence and cards.
Series III: United Nations, 1953-2006
This series contains materials related to Hazzard's work and writings related to the United Nations.
Series IV: The Great Fire and Related Materials, 1948-2009
The series includes manuscripts, proofs, corrections, professional files, and related materials.
These papers also include personal materials – correspondence, a diary, and photographs – that informed the writing of the novel. These materials date from Hazzard's time in Hong Kong and afterward, as her correspondence with some of the individuals was lifelong. The series also includes some additional clippings, photographs, and other materials that Hazzard used as research materials.
Series V: Other Manuscripts, 1960-2009
This series contains manuscripts that are primarily unrelated to either the United Nations or The Great Fire.
These manuscripts include The Ancient Shore: Dispatches from Naples, Bay of Noon, The Evening of the Holiday, The Transit of Venus, various manuscripts for The New Yorker, and various non-fiction and short fiction manuscripts.
Hazzard gave manuscripts and other materials related to Greene on Capri to Georgetown University.
Series VI: Writings By and About, 1960s-2010s
This series consists of largely unsorted papers that contain writings by or about Hazzard. These include writing by Hazzard and related materials – manuscripts, notes, clippings, magazines, programs, and related correspondence. These papers also include clippings, drafts, interviews, and other writings about Hazzard, with related correspondence.
Series VII: Professional Files, 1958-2010
This series includes general professional papers, subject files, and miscellaneous reader and fan mail.
Series VIII: Personal and Biographical Materials, 1942-2013, undated
This series contains personal and biographical materials relating to Hazzard, including address books, appointment books, diaries, notebooks, vital records, and personal items.
There is additional biographical material relating to Hazzard in Series VI: Writings By and About.
Series IX: Photographs, 1920s-2013
This series contains both personal photographs and professional portraits and event photographs. These are primarily prints, but also include contact sheets, proofs, and negatives.
The majority of photographs lack labels and dates, although many photographs from the 1960s-1980s are date-stamped. In addition, Hazzard made various copies of her favorites, so there is some duplication within the photographs as a whole.
Series X: Audio and Video Recordings, 1964-2007
These recordings relate primarily to Hazzard's professional events. The recordings include awards, interviews, media appearances, memorials, panel discussions, and tributes. In addition, there is one recording of Alexis P. Vedeniapine from the BBC.
These books were originally part of the book library that was still in Hazzard's apartment at the time of her death in 2016. The Rare Book & Manuscript Library's Curator of Literature selected a small number of books to be included with Hazzard's papers at the Library, and these are listed in the container list. The vast majority of the book library - 299 books - became part of the collections at the State Library of New South Wales, and some additional books became part of the collections at the New York Society Library.
Arranged in eleven series.
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
This collection is located on-site.
Rosanna Warren's correspondence is restricted until 2034.
If you would like to use audiovisual materials in Series X, please contact the library in advance of your visit to discuss access options. Items are not readily accessible in their current formats.
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.
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Shirley Hazzard papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Francis Steegmuller papers, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University
Shirley Hazzard papers, Georgetown University. Contains material related to Hazzard's friendship with and writings on Graham Greene, particularly her reminiscent book, Greene on Capri (2000)
Correspondence of Shirley Hazzard, Muriel Spark and Francis Steegmuller, 1963-1996, National Library of Australia. Contains correspondence written by Hazzard and Steegmuller to Muriel Spark.
Shirley Hazzard Correspondence and other papers, State Library of New South Wales. Contains correspondence from Elizabeth Harrower, Murray Bail, and Max and Thedda Angus.
Collection of books from the personal library of Shirley Hazzard, State Library of New South Wales. Collection of 299 books from the personal library of Shirley Hazzard.
New York Society Library. Some books from the library of Shirley Hazzard were donated to the Library.
Centro Caprense Ignazio Cerio, Capri, Italy. Hazzard's books at Capri were donated to the library when the apartment was sold, circa 2008.
No additions are expected.
Gift of Shirley Hazzard, 1990-2022.
Gift of Donald Keene, 2017
Gift of Carlo Knight, 2018
Gift of Phyllis Lee Levin, 2017
Gift of The Metropolitan Opera Archives Lincoln Center, 2014
Gift of New York Society Library, 2023.
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
This collection was processed by JSM, 1992. Some small accruals were added to the collection between 2017 and 2019, and were primarily processed by Patrick Lawlor; see boxes 9-12. Additional material processed by Catherine C. Ricciardi, 2022-2023. Finding aid written by Catherine C. Ricciardi in April 2023.
The Rare Book & Manuscript Library holds the papers of both Shirley Hazzard and her husband, Francis Steegmuller. Many papers are intermingled between the two collections, particularly because correspondence and photographs often involved both Hazzard and Steegmuller as a couple after their marriage in 1963. For the most part, it seems that papers were placed in one collection or the other based upon when they were received at the Library. Material that was given prior to Steegmuller's death in 1994, or shortly thereafter, was mostly added to the Steegmuller papers. Later donations, particularly those received after Hazzard's death, were primarily added to the Hazzard papers.
Three books were cataloged separately and added to the Rare Book & Manuscript Library's book collection. These are Hazzard's Cliffs of Fall (2nd copy), and Muriel Spark's The Girls of Slender Means and The Mandelbaum Gate. These books were designed by George Salter for Alfred A. Knopf (1963-1965), and include the original jackets.
2009-06-26 File created.
2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.
2023-04-18 Finding aid updated by CCR.
2023-05-11 2 folders of materials received from the New York Society Library processed and added to the finding aid. Accession# 2022-2023-M132. CCR.
Shirley Hazzard was born on January 30, 1931 in Sydney, Australia. She was the younger daughter of Reginald and Catherine (née Stein) Hazzard. After World War II, Reginald Hazzard joined the Foreign Service, and the family moved to Hong Kong in 1947. At 16, Hazzard began working for the British Combined Intelligence Services in Hong Kong. The family returned to Australia at the end of 1948, due to her sister's health. Unable to resume her education, Hazzard attended secretarial school. The family moved to New Zealand in March, 1949, and after a brief return to Australia, to New York in 1951.
After arriving in New York, Hazzard began working at the United Nations, where she remained for about ten years. In 1956, she was posted to Naples, Italy, for a year, starting a series of visits to Italy. Hazzard ultimately became critical of the United Nations, writing two non-fiction books, Death of An Ideal (1973) and Countenance of Truth (1990), as well as other work on the organization.
Hazzard's first published story was "Woollahra Road," published in The New Yorker in 1961. In 1962 Hazzard resigned from the U.N., so that she could focus on her writing. The following year, ten of her stories from The New Yorker were published as Cliffs of Fall and Other Stories.
She went on to publish four novels: The Evening of the Holiday (1966), The Bay of Noon (1970), The Transit of Venus (1980) and The Great Fire (2003). The Transit of Venus won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1980. Her next novel The Great Fire won the 2003 National Book Award for Fiction, the Miles Franklin Award, the Dean Howells Medal, and was named 2003 book of the year by The Economist.
Hazzard also published a memoir of her friend Graham Greene: Greene on Capri: A Memoir (2000), and a collection of her own and Francis Steegmuller's writings on Naples - The Ancient Shore: Dispatches from Naples (2008).
Hazzard met Francis Steegmuller, a Flaubert scholar, writer and translator, at a party given by Muriel Spark in 1963. They were married later that year. Steegmuller died in 1994.
Hazzard died in New York City on December 12, 2016 at the age of 85.
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
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