Lessing's Legacy Explored Through Her Personal Archive

In 1998, having just published the second volume of her autobiography, ‘Walking in Shade,’ Doris Lessing appeared at University East Anglia's Literary Festival for third time a decade. At end interview while still on mic, following audience questions and during rapturous applause, interviewer friend, Professor Christopher Bigsby, asked if he could announce what they had been discussing regarding papers. gave firm no response.1 Privately, told Bigsby that she decided to bequeath personal correspondence working papers Anglia (UEA). known since 1980 when first interviewed BBC. They formed friendship, already made several trips UEA campus work with students. who researched embargoed Arthur Miller Archive Harry Ransom Center writing his two-volume biography, understood incredible generosity magnitude this surprising gift. archives preeminent writers can command vast sums. sold manuscripts have correspondence. This is entirely keeping benefactor who, it clear from archived private correspondence, quietly very large number generous charitable gifts lifetime, giving regular sums money friends, associates organisations, even paying children's school fees throughout their education. However, news Lessing's planned donation was not universally celebrated UEA. The announcement caused considerable anxiety within university library, then Librarian rightly concerned UEA's modest infrastructure would do justice such high-profile deposit. While Faculty staff lobbied proposed gift be acknowledged as soon possible, confirmed arrangement will. day overruled by stealth. upgraded 2005 officially opened novelist, Rose Tremain, 2006. November 2007, Francis Fitzgibbon, stepson lover, John Whitehorn, deposited material - 110 love letters written mid late 20s Whitehorn Col McDonald between 1945 1949, mostly Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, final few London shortly after arrival. letters, often thousands words length, are an extraordinary account writing, politics motherhood. Both correspondents were RAF officers. deposit remarked decision re-read them: ‘There good deal pain those long ago far-away things’.2 Correspondence officer, Leonard Smith, Smith Sussex mid-1990s. lack consultation about sale, attempt purchase Whitehorn's collection infuriated Lessing.3 A year later 13 February 2008, appearance award Nobel Prize Literature, wrote tell him suffered heart attack like send car collect some She initial tranche consisting 29 boxes (7 linear metres) more than 1100 including Salman Rushdie, Rebecca West, Clancy Sigal, Nadine Gordimer Muriel Spark name few. particular strength retained copies great outgoing so that, unusually physical literary archive, both sides conversation preserved together. 2009, Margaret Drabble Lessing. reveal warm intimate friendship two women contain glimpses discussions literature. These three deposits, totalling 31 (or 7.5 metres), provide fascinating insights into life times which lived. But entirety archive. died 17 2013 age 94. Shortly afterwards, remainder archive moved University. fully catalogued but remains under embargo awaiting publication authorised Patrick French 16 March 2023. enjoyed privileged access material, accordance will, afforded 40 years diaries, otherwise until 2043. consists further 109 or 27 metres, 31, we include diaries. So, apart did hold back posthumous deposit? It includes reflecting close friendships relationships. also contains showing greater detail political life, activism, example, Afghanistan studies Sufism research. There dream travel diaries notebooks form part creative process excerpt curated Nonia Williams, Academic Curator UEA, centenary celebrations. 2019, hosted 100, series events mark international conference 85 delegates exhibition Sainsbury Centre Visual Arts attracted 3835 visitors. public speakers Drabble, Roberta Rubenstein, Rachel Cusk, Lara Feigel Emma Claire Sweeney. Conversations began 2016. original space earmarked 3 m2 before 2017 mezzanine m × m. move changed nature presentation perhaps twenty items hundred. become ticketed, recover costs. project team responsible selecting all literature specialists fascinated letters. kept insisting: ‘You cannot put book wall’. challenges posed exhibition: spanned major global twentieth century. Her output varied, involvement politics, activism study frankly intimidating. need involve interdisciplinary beyond interpret contextualise. wanted selected deposit, required delicate negotiation Trustees. Only members allowed consult its – me Archivist, Paul Cooper assistant curator PhD student confidentiality agreement. breadth rich scale selection extremely challenging our expertise. We identified dominant themes preoccupations noting subject categories where greatest. checked understanding against biographer's. An exclude relating 1962 novel, Golden Notebook, focus ‘unknown Lessing' abandoned favour inclusion, given centrality text requirement visual recreate backdrop different thematic chronological stages challenge. only select herself experienced, collected, possible. insufficient text. Our museum gallery colleagues knew visitors engage drew them historical moment landscape. us research unrelated Lessing, conjure key touchpoints life. included loans collector Sufi objects (Olive Hoare), British Museum, lent ancient scroll depicting kabbalah, once sketched. Magnum supplied images NASA, visited preparation Mars, Africa Afghanistan. Other loaned direct relationship Lessing: National Archives' records Mi5 surveillance 1950s, sketch hung Portrait Gallery. addition came friend Trustee, Chloe Diski, daughter Jenny Diski lived adolescent young woman 1960s 1970s, favourite possessions including: globe, clothing, jug tea cup, sewing machine record player jewellery carvings Africa. kind intimacy unlike other texts revealing wit force playfulness intellect voice. critically acclaimed, significant media coverage. Feedback suggested situating object text, rather being incongruous, worked together these contrasting periods programming wonderful canvas share conscious reach demographic Centre. Norwich fortunate one most libraries country, average 2000 per week. ‘A library democratic thing world. What found there has undone dictators tyrants: demagogues persecute write much like, vanish past, though try enough…People least minds immune indoctrination. If you read, learn think yourself’.4 Justine Mann Project Archivist Contemporary Writing 100 2019–2020.