Identity area
Reference code
Bates
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 1916-2004 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
1 box, 1 portfolio, books.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born into a family of Northamptonshire shoemakers, H.E. Bates is best known as a writer of short stories and novels. The first of his many novels appeared in 1926; he also wrote regular magazine columns and nature essays. It was for short stories that he won critical acclaim. During the Second World War, he was appointed to the Royal Air Force as a writer, producing highly popular morale-boosting short stories under the pseudonym of Flying Officer X. From the 1940s onwards, his novels became best-sellers; his output also included children’s books, two books on gardening, and three volumes of memoirs. A wider audience has been introduced to his fiction through successful film and television adaptations, the best known of which is probably 'The darling buds of May'.
Repository
Archival history
This collection was the property of Constance Amelia Sharman (née Ginns) and was given to the College in 2010 by her son John Michael Sharman (BA 1955).
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This material was kept by Constance Amelia Sharman (née Ginns), who was a close friend of Bates during his teenage years, when his creative efforts were directed towards art and poetry rather than the prose writing which he later made his career. The collection includes sketches, poems, letters and photographs. First editions of some of his books, which he gave to ‘Con’, accompany the collection, and are catalogued on iDiscover.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Preferred citation: St John's College library, Papers of H.E. Bates.