Yale University Library

Overview

Repository: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
P. O. Box 208240
New Haven, CT 06520-8240
Email: beinecke.library@yale.edu
Phone: (203) 432-2972
Fax: (203) 432-4047
Call Number: GEN MSS 773
Creator: Kirkup, James, 1918-2009.
Title: James Kirkup papers
Dates: 1890-2007
Bulk Dates: 1940-2007
Physical Description: 79.31 linear feet (200 boxes) + 2 rolls and 4 broadside folders
Language(s): Chiefly in English and Japanese. Some material in French.
Summary: The James Kirkup Papers includes correspondence, writings, photographs, audiovisual material, personal documents and memorabilia that document the life and work of British author James Kirkup.The papers span his writing career, from early school papers to printouts of digital books published in the 2000s, and include documentation of the diverse genres of Kirkup's research and writing. The papers document not only Kirkup's life and work, but also pacifism as a theme in literature, twentieth-century gay life, émigré life in Japan, 20th century literature and poetry (especially haiku), and Kirkup's family history. Prominent correspondents include Akiko Takemoto and Muriel Metcalfe.
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Finding Aid Link: To cite or bookmark this finding aid, use the following address:
http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.kirkup
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Catalog Record: A record for this collection, including location information, may be available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog.

Administrative Information

Provenance

Purchased from James Kirkup and from Hawthorn Books on the Edwin J. Beinecke Book Fund, 1994-2009.

Printouts of virtual books: gift of Brindin Press, 2003.

Information about Access

This collection is open for research.

Boxes 177-178 (audiovisual material): ‡a Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.

This collection may be housed off-site at Yale’s Library Shelving Facility (LSF). To determine if all or part of this collection is housed off-site please check the library’s online catalog, Orbis; material for which the location is given as “LSF” must be requested 36 hours in advance. Please consult with Beinecke Access Services for more information.

Ownership & Copyright

The James Kirkup Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.

Cite As

James Kirkup Papers. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Processing Notes

This collection includes materials previously identified by the following call numbers: Uncat MS Vault 714, Uncat MS Vault 748, Uncat MS Vault 821, Uncat MSS 519, Uncat MSS 556, Uncat MSS 872, Uncat MSS 948, and Uncat MSS 1220.

Collection are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit. This collection received a basic level of processing in 2010-2011, including rehousing and minimal organization. Various acquisitions associated with the collection have been merged and organized as a whole.

As a rule, descriptive information found in the Collection Contents section is drawn in large part from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff.

This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.

Associated Materials

Other material by or relating to James Kirkup, including letters to Akiko Takemoto, can be found by searching Orbis (Yale's Online Catalog).

Related material can be found in the James Kirkup Collection in South Shields, cataloged at http://www.thejameskirkupcollection.co.uk/collection.html.

James Kirkup, 1918-2009

James Kirkup, prolific author and translator, produced hundreds of works of poetry, autobiography, drama, travel memoir, translation and obituary. Kirkup occasionally used pen names, including James Falconer, Jun Honda, Andrew James, Taeko Kawai, Felix Liston, Edward Raeburn, and Ivy B. Summerforest.Kirkup was born April 23, 1918 in South Shields, England, lived much of his life in Japan, and died May 10, 2009 in Andorra.

Description of the Papers

The James Kirkup Papers includes correspondence, writings, photographs, audiovisual material, personal documents and memorabilia that document the life and work of British author James Kirkup. The papers span his writing career, from early school papers to digital books published in the 2000s, and include documentation of the diverse genres of Kirkup's research and writing: autobiography, poetry, travel writing, obituaries, novels, dramatic works, and translations. The papers document not only Kirkup's life and work, but also pacifism as a theme in literature, twentieth-century gay life, émigré life in Japan, twentieth-century literature and poetry (especially haiku), and Kirkup's family history. Prominent correspondents include Akiko Takemoto and Muriel Metcalfe.

Arrangement

Organized into seven series: I. Correspondence, 1937-2007. II. Writings, 1938-2007. III. Personal Papers and Memorabilia, circa 1920-1997. IV. Audiovisual Material, 1993-2002. V. Visual Material, circa 1890-2000s. VI. Printed Material, 1930s-2000s. VII. Manuscript Material Removed from Books, 1960s-2000s.