This collection of papers had its origin in a programme set up by the Oxford Development Records Project (ODRP) (successor to the Oxford Colonial Records Project) early in 1980 with the aim of preserving the recollections of Colonial Service officers and others concerning the critical period post World War II up to Independence - and even slightly beyond - in Nyasaland (Malawi).

Unlike other projects organised by ODRP, such as those relating to British Forces in Colonial Africa, Education, the Swynnerton Plan and so on, for which a standard aide-memoir was devised, outlining the particular areas of interest in each case, and sent out to all contributors, a different procedure was adopted here. This programme was launched by means of a personal letter addressed to each potential contributor, designed to elicit memories and records in the field in which the contributor had special interest, experience and responsibility. A list of those approached is deposited in Box I. In addition to the memoranda resulting from these letters, two colloquia were held by ODRP, relating to two important topics in the study of Nyasaland: Land and Finance. The transcripts of these colloquia can be found in Box VI.

Contributors are listed alphabetically, each being given an individual number which also identifies their papers.