Country Code
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GB
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Repository Code
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233
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Repository
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National Library of Scotland
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Reference
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GB233/MS.27148-27160
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Title
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MacDiarmid Papers: Correspondence
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Dates
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1918-1977
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Access Status
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Open
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Description
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MS.27148 Personal and family correspondence, 1918-77, n.d. This includes letters to MacDiarmid from his mother, and also his correspondence with his first wife, Peggy Skinner, written after their divorce. 107 ff. MS.27149-50 Letters to MacDiarmid from his second wife, Valda Trevlyn, 1933-72, n.d. Many of them date from the period 1933-42, when the Grieves were living in Whalsay; the letters of 1934 and 1954-61 were mostly written when Valda was away from home, looking after her relations in Cornwall. They concern her anxiety for MacDiarmid, their financial worries, and her own activities. MS.27149. 1933 - July 1942. 191 ff. MS.27150. Aug. 1942-1972, n.d. 171 ff. MS.27151 Letters to Christopher and Valda Grieve from their son, Michael, 1942-1971, n.d. They include letters written when was a schoolboy in Shetland, and while working as a journalist in Scotland and England. MS.27152-5 General correspondence, 1929-81, n.d. The writers include friends of MacDiarmid, publishers, and literary agents. While some of the letters discuss his work or reflect his political affiliations, many are requests to use his poems, or invitations to give speeches. In some cases, MacDiarmid used the backs of the letters for notes and drafts of poems MS.27154 contains a substantial number of letters and cards of greeting on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 1972. MS.27152. 1929-55. 174 ff. MS.27153. 1956-71. 173 ff. MS.27154. 1972-July 1977. 152 ff. MS.27155. Aug. 1977-1981, n.d. 175 ff. MS.27156 An album, compiled bv Valda Grieve, of greetings cards and telegrams received by MacDiarmid on his 70th and 75th birthdays, 1962, 1967. Only the letters in this volume have been indexed. 152 items. Folio. MS.27157-60 Letters and drafts or copies of letters of MacDiarmid to various correspondents, 1933-82, n.d. MS.27157 Letters to Barker Fairley, Professor of German at the University of Toronto, 1947-82, n.d. Most are from MacDiarmid, but there are also letters from mutual friends. The topics include MacDiarmid's activities, especially his travels, and Fairley's publications and painting. 46 ff. MS.27158 Letters to the artist Barbara Niven, 1955-72. Many are very informative about MacDiarmid's activities: his talks and lectures, his travels, his literary work and contributions to the Daily Worker (for which Niven was an active fund-raiser), and his political activities, especially in relation to the Communist Party. 171 ff. MS.27159-60 Letters, mostly drafts and copies, of MacDiarmid, 1933-77, n.d. Many are to the editors of newspapers and journals and were intended for publication or accompanied contributions. The rest are to friends and acquaintances and concern MacDiarmid's political interests, his speaking engagements and his poetry. They include several letters which he drafted for other people. With very few exceptions, the letters are not included in The Letters of Hugh MacDiarmid, ed. A. Bold, Lond., 1984. MS.27159. 1933-59. 186 ff. MS.27160. 1960-77, n.d. 149 ff.
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Level
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Sub-Fonds
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Related Material
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For his parents' letters to Michael, see MSS.27240-1. 68 ff. For MacDiarmid's letters to Valda, see MSS.27221-2.
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Associated Persons
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