Holdings

The University Special Collections contains over 400 collections of archives and manuscripts. These include the richest collection of twentieth-century literary papers by writers associated with the South West of England in any university library.

Highlights include:

Arvon Foundation archive
John Betjeman (archives and materials from his working library)
Theo Brown (personal and research papers)
Charles Causley (literary and personal papers)
Agatha Christie (business archive)
Jack Clemo (literary and personal papers)
Rupert Croft-Cooke (literary papers)
Daphne du Maurier
R F Delderfield (literary papers)
Ronald Duncan
The Dymock Poets
William Golding
Ivor Gurney
Ted Hughes
John Jarmain
Daphne du Maurier (manuscripts, research collections and individual items)
George du Maurier
A L Rowse
Lawrence Sail (literary papers)
Flora Thompson
Henry Williamson and Henry Williamson Society (literary papers)
Sylvia Townsend Warner

We also hold significant collections relating to printing and illustration, Drama, History, Theology, Social Studies, Antiquarianism, Colonial Studies and the Middle East. See our rare books and maps page for more information.

For more information and to search our archive catalogue, please see Special Collections.