Literary and Cultural papers

The University of Nottingham's collections of literary and cultural records are rich and important. They range from medieval manuscripts (the Wollaton Library Collection), to literary papers from the library of the Dukes of Portland (the Portland Literary Collection), and the Icelandic library of the scholar Eiríkur Benedikz.

There are drama and Shakespeare collections, political cartoons, programmes and other material relating to the theatre in Nottingham, papers relating to the writers Henry Kirke White, Coventry Patmore and H.G. Wells, and the Woodward collection of papers relating to the Bacon-Shakespeare controversy. Many of the collections include both printed and manuscript elements.

The D.H. Lawrence Collections (both printed and manuscript) have been recognised by the The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) Designation Scheme as being of outstanding national and international importance. Complementing the core D.H. Lawrence collections are papers of many of Lawrence's friends and associates. 

• Browse the Manuscripts Online Catalogue for descriptions of all Literary and cultural collections
• Search the University of Nottingham library catalogue (NUsearch) for material in the following Special Collections: .
  • Eiríkur Benedikz Icelandic Collection
  • Cambridge Drama Collection
  • Cambridge Shakespeare Collection
  • Charles Knight Collection
  • Coventry Patmore Collection
  • D.H. Lawrence Collection (printed books)
  • H.G. Wells Collection
  • Modern Literature Collection
  • Woodward Collection (Bacon-Shakespeare controversy)
• Find out more about the D H Lawrence Collections in Collections in context - Lawrence Resources
• Find out more about the Wollaton Library Collection and the HLF and AHRC-funded projects
• See political cartoons and portraits on our Digital Gallery

Next page: Personal papers