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Archive of Joanna Trollope

 Collection

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The archive comprises:

  1. Literary papers: novels and non-fiction (material relating to published works and related stage and TV adaptations, including autograph manuscripts and research notes)
  2. Literary papers: short stories, articles, lectures, interviews and reviews
  3. Literary papers: events (mainly correspondence and related printed material)
  4. Literary papers: contracts (contractual material relating to published works and audio adaptations, including UK, American, Canadian and foreign language contracts)
  5. Literary papers: correspondence (general professional correspondence, including some research notebooks and travel diaries, as well as letters of appreciation)
  6. Literary papers: audio visual (recordings of shows and interviews, as well as radio and television adaptations of published works)
  7. Literary papers: photographs
  8. Personal papers (including school papers, correspondence, engagement diaries, certificates and paintings, as well as material relating to events, engagements and charity work)

Dates

  • Creation: Creation: [1908]-2019
  • Creation: Creation: Majority of material found within 1952-2019

Extent

5.26 Linear metres (109 boxes)

Language of Materials

  • English
  • German
  • French
  • Spanish; Castilian
  • Norwegian
  • Italian
  • Catalan; Valencian
  • Swedish
  • Polish
  • Dutch; Flemish
  • Estonian
  • Russian

Conditions Governing Access

Some material is closed.

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. 9515/1].

Please see our help page for further guidance on citing archives and manuscripts.

Full range of shelfmarks:

MSS. 9515/1-103 and MSS. 9515 Photogr. 1-2

Collection ID (for staff)

CMD ID 9515, 12011, 15523, 17786, 21087

Abstract

Archive of Joanna Trollope (born 1943), writer, including literary and personal papers, [1908]-2019.

Biographical / Historical

The author Joanna Trollope was born in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, in 1943. She grew up in Surrey and was educated at Dunottar School and Reigate County School for Girls. She won a scholarship to study English at St Hugh's College, University of Oxford in 1961. After graduating, Joanna worked for the Foreign Office before becoming an English teacher. She married David Potter in 1966 (divorced 1983) and the couple had two children.

While still working as a teacher, Joanna began writing historical fiction. She had become a full-time author by 1980, the year her novel Parson Harding's Daughter was awarded the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Joanna published her only non-fiction title, Britannia's Daughters, in 1983.

Joanna married her second husband, the dramatist and television director Ian Curteis (1935-2021), in 1985 (divorced 2001).

During the 1980s, Joanna's writing evolved to contemporary fiction and The Rector's Wife (1991), which was adapted for television in 1994, was her first number one bestseller. Her earlier novels were reissued under a pseudonym, Caroline Harvey, that she had previously used for romantic fiction.

Joanna has also written pieces for anthologies, newspapers, and magazines. In 2010, she was awarded the Romantic Novelists' Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

Joanna was Deputy Lieutenant for Gloucestershire 2002-2004. She was awarded an OBE in 1996 and a CBE in 2019.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gifted by Joanna Trollope in February 2014, with additional material donated in April 2016, October 2018, February 2019 and May 2021.

Separated Materials

Unannotated printed reference books and newspaper cuttings have not been retained, excluding those contained within MS. 9515/52 and MS. 9515/53. Full details of all removed items have been recorded inside the revelant boxes.

Title
Catalogue of the archive of Joanna Trollope, [1908]-2019
Status
Published
Author
Finding aid prepared by Gemma Kennish Persello, Bethany Goodman and Rachael Marsay
Date
2023
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Sponsor
Catalogued with the generous support of the Roy Davids bequest
Edition statement
This is the first edition of this catalogue. Further material may be added in subsequent editions as a result of ongoing cataloguing work.

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom