LONDON.- The British Library has acquired a series of letters from poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) and the archive of author and playwright John Galsworthy (1867-1933). The acquisitions have been made possible with funding from National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), British Library Collections Trust (BLCT) and Friends of the National Libraries (FNL).

Rediscover the brilliance of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poetry and letters.


Best known for the Forsyte Saga (1906-21), a series of novels depicting the lives and values of the English upper middle classes, John Galsworthy was the first President of PEN International (1921-32) and awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932. Comprising over 60 boxes and folders of original correspondence and papers, the archive acquired by the British Library contains handwritten literary drafts, correspondence and annotated copies of his printed works, providing a rich resource for the study of Galsworthy's life and the wider literary culture of his time.

Considered one of the most important English writers of the nineteenth century, Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of a small number of prominent female writers in Victorian Britain. The collection of 131 letters (1846-60) acquired by the British Library follows the publication of Poems (1844), the successful volume for which Barrett Browning first became well-known. The letters, predominantly written from Barrett Browning to her sister Henrietta Surtees Cook, offer valuable insight into her work, public reception and social networks.

Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: 'The acquisition of these documents by the British Library will give fascinating insights into the works and lives of two of the most talented, socially engaged writers that nineteenth century Britain produced.

'As the world's leading institution on the written word, I feel there can be no better place to showcase the writing of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and John Galsworthy to the public than the British Library.'

Dr William Frame, Head of Modern Archives and Manuscripts at the British Library, said: 'The British Library plays an essential role in safeguarding the nation's heritage and one of the most significant ways that we can achieve this goal is to acquire nationally important items for the collection. Our role is to develop, preserve and provide access to the national collection, for today's users and far into the future, and we are incredibly grateful to the National Heritage Memorial Fund, British Library Collections Trust and Friends of the National Libraries for their generous support.'

The National Heritage Memorial Fund awarded £150,000 towards the acquisition of the John Galsworthy archive and £245,550 towards the acquisition of the Elizabeth Barrett Browning letters.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: 'The National Heritage Memorial Fund is delighted to support the British Library to acquire the John Galsworthy Archives and the Elizabeth Barrett Browning letters, adding these outstanding papers to the UK public collection to be cared for and accessible to all.'

'John Galsworthy is a name familiar to many as the contributor of the Forsyte Saga to British literature. This incredible archive recounts captivating stories and relationships throughout his life, including correspondence with notable literary and historic figures such as Winston Churchill, J.M. Barrie, Thomas Hardy and Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as extensive manuscripts of his esteemed work.'

'Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most important English writers of the 19th century, and one of a small number of female writers who achieved prominence in Victorian Britain. This collection of letters provide a fascinating insight into her life, her work and her views on social and political issues of the time.'

The acquisitions enhance the Galsworthy and Barrett Browning material already cared for at the British Library and will be available for research on completion of cataloguing. A selection of the archives will be digitised and made freely available online with the opportunity to see highlights in future exhibitions and displays.

62 boxes of John Galsworthy's correspondence and papers acquired
The British Library has acquired 62 boxes and folders of correspondence and papers by novelist and playwright John Galsworthy (1867-1933), including handwritten literary drafts, letters and annotated copies of his printed works.

Highlights of the archive include:

• 45 autograph manuscripts of Galsworthy's novels and plays, including Maid in Waiting and Flowering Wilderness from the final Forsyte Saga trilogy, The Dark Flower, Fraternity, and a typescript version of his breakthrough play, The Silver Box

• 245 letters from the novelist Joseph Conrad, a close friend of Galsworthy, which provide much insight into Conrad's life and career

• Letters from prominent public figures such as Winston Churchill, Eleanor Roosevelt and Stanley Baldwin, Galsworthy's well-known literary contemporaries including Thomas Hardy, Katherine Mansfield and Edith Wharton, and to his literary protégé, novelist and poet Ralph Mottram, with thoughts and advice on writing

• Nine volumes of diaries (1910-18) written when Galsworthy was in his forties

• Correspondence on Galsworthy's post-war work to raise awareness and funds for ex-soldiers, including his work for Kitchener House, a club for wounded servicemen

Best known for the Forsyte Saga (1906-21), the manuscripts of which he donated to the British Library during his lifetime, Galsworthy wrote about social issues, such as class and justice. Following the First World War, Galsworthy's writing reflected the impact of the conflict, a theme which runs through many of his post-war novels and plays, acting as an important record of English literary history.

Laura Walker, Lead Curator of Modern Archives and Manuscripts at the British Library, said: 'We are thrilled that the John Galsworthy papers will be publicly available to researchers for the first time in 50 years as there is immense untapped research potential. Galsworthy's working drafts of plays and novels chart the development of his writing career and his broad contribution to English literature. The extensive files of correspondence and papers provide an outstanding research resource for the study of his life and of the wider literary culture and connections of the time.'

Series of letters from Elizabeth Barrett Browning acquired

Spanning 1846 to 1860, the series of letters from Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) acquired by the British Library follows the publication of Poems (1844), for which she became well known, and cover the period in which she wrote Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850), Aurora Leigh (1856) and Poems Before Congress (1860). Eschewing the conventions of her time for female authors, Barrett Browning's work focuses on social and political issues, such as industrialisation, religious controversy and gender inequality.

The acquisition comprises:

• 119 letters (1846-1860), totalling 826 pages plus envelopes, sent from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, with three jointly addressed to her sisters, Henrietta and Arabella, and 116 solely to Henrietta

• 10 letters (1846-1850) from Barrett Browning's husband, Robert, also to Henrietta and Arabella

• Two letters (1855-1856) from Barrett Browning's son, known as 'Pen'

Born in County Durham in 1806, Barrett Browning moved to Italy with her husband, Robert Browning, in 1846. She lived with chronic illness for much of her adult life and her letters are extensive, each one running to several pages of closely written text, providing a wealth of detail on her personal life, as well as the genesis of her works and literary networks. Many of the letters include small pen and ink sketches hand drawn by Barrett Browning to complement and amplify her words on the page.

Highlights from the series of letters include Barrett Browning:

• Writing to her sisters (2 October 1846), shortly after she secretly married Robert Browning against her father’s will, expressing how challenging it was for her to hide their feelings and intentions

• Praising her husband, Robert Browning, for the 'tender patience' with which he has looked after her during a bout of illness (12 February 1855)

• Meeting with poet Alfred Tennyson and his wife in Paris, complimenting Tennyson's kindness towards her and her husband (20-21 July 1851)

• Sketching a street procession (13 September 1847) celebrating the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold II, who had granted the people of Florence permission to form a civic guard. This procession and other events of the Risorgimento, the political and cultural movement for Italian unification, would go on to inspire her poem, Casa Guidi Windows (1851)

• Expressing her surprise and amusement at allegations that her verse novel Aurora Leigh was written by spirits stating 'I disavowed any share in it except the mere mechanical holding of the pen - !!!' (10 January 1857)

• Meeting W.M. Thackeray, the author of Vanity Fair, in Rome, who she described as 'an amusing man-mountain enough and very courteous to us - but I never should get on with him much, I think - he is not sympathetical to me' (30 December 1853)

Dr Alexandra Ault, Lead Curator of Modern Archives and Manuscripts at the British Library, said: 'Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a key figure in the teaching of Victorian literature and society and her work continues to resonate with modern audiences. Barrett Browning was one of a small number of female writers who achieved prominence in Victoria Britain and this, alongside her willingness to address social and political issues in her works, makes the letters of outstanding interest for researchers today and in the future.'


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