urn:taro:utexas.hrc.00272 Ray Coryton Hutchinson: A Preliminary Inventory of His Collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Text converted by SPI Content Sciences Inc., July 2003. Finding aid written in English. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin Hutchinson, Ray Coryton, 1907-1975 The collection consists of the published and unpublished works of this British novelist. Included in the collection are short stories, plays, articles, book reviews, broadcasts, humorous sketches, letters to the editor, obituaries and tributes, speeches, and verse by Hutchinson, as well as the novels published in the last decade of his life. Ray Coryton Hutchinson Collection 1907-1975 25 Boxes, Oversize Flat File Folder (11.84 Linear Feet) Acquisition:

Reg. No. 13402

 Access:

Open for research

 Processed by:

Liz Murray, 1995

 Scope and Contents

This collection of published and unpublished works by British novelist R. C. Hutchinson complements an existing cataloged collection held at the HRHRC. Together they form a core of Hutchinson's novels from his earliest, Thou Hast a Devil (1930), to his last, Rising, published posthumously in 1976. Much of Hutchinson's work describes contemporary European historical settings on a grand scale, requiring great narrative skill. His novels were published in the United States and were translated in several languages. Also included are short stories, plays, articles, and other writings reflecting his writing career from 1935-1975.

Four categories are used to describe this collection: Works, Correspondence, Personal, and Works by Others. The first and largest series, Works, is further subdivided to accommodate Hutchinson's breadth as a writer. The subseries include: novels, short stories, plays, articles, book reviews, broadcasts, humorous sketches, letters to the editor, obituaries and tributes, speeches, verse, and other writings. The novels represented here are those published in the last decade of Hutchinson's life from 1964 through 1975, including A Child Possessed, Johanna at Daybreak, Origins of Cathleen, Rising, and an unfinished novel, Franziska. In these works, Hutchinson's creative methodology can be followed from notes and sketches, through holograph and typed drafts, to the final proofs. Similarly, more than one draft is frequently present for his short stories and articles which appeared in periodicals such as The English Review, Punch, The Spectator, and popular British magazines. These are arranged alphabetically by title, as are Hutchinson's plays and radio broadcasts. Numerous periodicals containing Hutchinson's short stories and articles received with this collection were transferred to the HRC book collection.

The subseries Other Writings includes notes and essays from Hutchinson's days at Oriel College and military training at Sandhurst. His military career is further represented by the manuscript and typescript of Paiforce, a history of the Persia and Iraq command, which Hutchinson wrote while serving as General Staff Officer in the War Office.

Concluding the series of Works are numerous book jackets and two promotional displays for A Child Possessed and Image of My Father.

The second series, Correspondence, includes postcards, telegrams, and holograph and typed letters between Hutchinson and his literary agent, Curtis Brown; his publisher, Michael Joseph; the BBC; poet, Martyn Skinner; and colleagues dating from 1941-l974. The correspondence with the Curtis Brown agency documents Hutchinson's writing activity from 1960 through his severance with the firm in 1967, and re-establishment in 1970. Some holograph drafts of letters written by Hutchinson appear in chronological order with other correspondence. Topics include foreign translation agreements, reprints, stage dramatizations, royalties and copyrights, Hutchinson's receipt of the W.H. Smith Annual Literary Award (1966), and the publication of his novels, March the Ninth, A Child Possessed (including work on a film version in 1969-70), Origins of Cathleen, Image of My Father, and Elephant and Castle, among others.

Correspondence related to the publisher Michael Joseph (1968-74) picks up the thread of publishing at the time of Hutchinson's departure from Curtis Brown. These letters from various Michael Joseph representatives discuss the publication of Johanna at Daybreak and Origins of Cathleen.

BBC correspondence dates from 1953-1972 and includes references to Hutchinson's participation in BBC Home Service programs, talks for The World of Books series, and interviews for the Contemporary British Writers series. Also included is the typescript for Nightmare Before Babylon.

Correspondence with Warren Chetham-Strode centers on the dramatization of The Stepmother including staging of the play, programs, and opening night telegrams. Also present is Chetham-Strode's typescript adaptation of The Stepmother which he titled The Image.

Of particular interest in this series are photocopies of correspondence with poet Martyn Skinner, the compilation of which was published in 1979 as Two Men of Letters: Correspondence Between R. C. Hutchinson, Novelist, and Martyn Skinner, Poet, 1957-1974. The originals of these letters reside in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Also included is related correspondence between Hutchinson's wife Margaret, Martyn Skinner, and Rupert Hart-Davis, editor, regarding the publication of these letters. One holograph letter from Skinner to Hutchinson dated October 24, 1961 is present.

The personal material in Series III includes early schoolboy diaries (1922-23) as well as date books from 1971-1975. A record of Hutchinson's literary earnings is found in four notebooks dating from 1928-1963.

The last series, Works by Others, is notable for its inclusion of two adaptations of Hutchinson's works, Stephan's Child by Guy Green based on A Child Possessed and March the Ninth adapted by Elizabeth Lincoln.

 Ray Coryton Hutchinson Papers--Folder List I. Works A. Novels A Child Possessed 1 1-2 Holograph notes, rough workings, spoilt pages 1 3-6 Holograph ms., first draft 2 1-6 Holograph ms. 2 7-8 Corrected typescript 3 1-2 Setting copy, typescript Franziska [unfinished novel] 3 3 Holograph ms., first draft 3 4 Typescript, first draft Johanna At Daybreak 4 1 Holograph notes, rough workings, spoilt pages 4 2-6 Holograph ms, first draft 5 1-2 Holograph ms. (sent to typist) 5 3-4 Corrected typescript 5 5-6 Setting copy 6 1 Corrected proofs Origins of Cathleen 6 2-7 Holograph ms., first draft 7 1-4 Holograph ms. (sent to typist) 7 5-6 Corrected typescript 8 1-5 Setting copy 8 6 Corrected proofs Rising 9 1-4 Holograph notes 9 5 Holograph notebook 9 6 Holograph notebook 9 7 Information from RCH's notes by Franklyn-Robbins and Gray 10 1-5 Holograph ms., first draft 11 1-4 Holograph ms., fair copy 11 5-6 Corrected typescript 12 1 Corrected typescript 12 2-5 Corrected typescript, top copy 12 6 Notes for projected novels B. Short Stories 13 1 Lists of short stories 13 2 Adventurer Unsaluted 13 3 All in the Day 13 4 The Anniversary 13 5 An Artist by Testament 13 6 At Grips with Morpheus 13 7 Black or White? 13 8* A Common Tongue [*oversize material removed to Oversize Flat File] 13 9 The Conquest of Calpurnia 13 10 Crossroads 13 11 Elosindi's Christmas 13 12 Epilogue by the Stage Manager 13 13* Every Twenty Years [*oversize material removed to Oversize Flat File] 13 14 Everything Settled 13 15 Excursion to Norway 13 16 Exhibit `A' 13 17 Fog Off Flushing 13 18 The Go-Between 13 19 Going Begging 13 20 How I Rose to be an Australian Shoeshine Boy 13 21 An Informal Call 13 22 James Returns 13 23 The Journey Begins 13 24 Judas Iscariot 13 * Last Voyage [*removed to Oversize Flat File] 13 25 Mens Sana 13 * Mr. Hartop Rings the Bell [*removed to Oversize Flat File and Oversize Box 25] 13 26 My Biggest Thrill 13 27 No Wine for the Regular Guest 13 28 November 29th 13 29* Old English Customs [*oversize material removed to Oversize Flat File] 13 30 Outsiders 14 1 A Peculiar Engagement 14 2 A Photograph of Mrs. Austin 14 3* A Question of Value [*Oversize material removed to Oversize Flat File] 14 4* A Rendezvous for Mr. Hopkins [*Oversize material removed to Oversize Flat File and Oversize Box 25] 14 5 A Scientist Dines 14 6 Selected Short Stories 14 * The Tramp with a Visiting Card [*removed to Oversize Box 25] 14 7 The Uneconomic Man 14 8 The Wall Not Made with Hands 14 9 The War Books and My Nephew 14 10 The Way of Kindness 14 11* A Woman of Simplicity, holograph ms. [Oversize material removed to Oversize Box 25] 14 12 A Woman of Simplicity, corrected typescript 14 13 The Wynforth Case C. Plays 14 14 The Barrier 14 15 The Chair 15 1-8 The Daughters of Dr. Humboldt 16 1-5 Dona Luisa 16 6 Experiment with Madame de Chauvel 16 7 Happy Return 16 8 Last Train South 17 1 Mount Hercules 17 2-3 Northern Star 17 4-6 A Pattern of Daughters 17 7 The Rest of Hake 17 8 Secret Bastion 18 1-2 A Voyage in Twilight D. Articles, Book Reviews, Broadcasts, Humorous Sketches, Letters to the Editor, Obits and Tributes, Speeches, and Verse Articles 18 3 Aliens at Bow Street 18 4 Apostasy 18 5 Bag and Bowler Hat 18 6 The Case of the Stranded Clergyman 18 7 Crying in the Wilderness 18 8 8th Battalion Officers' Dinner 18 9 Epic Flight 18 10 Excursion to Norway 18 11 Guidance for Maidens 18 12 Home of Lost Corpses 18 13 In Defence of Grub Street 18 14 It's a Way They Have in America 18 15 A Little Out of Line 18 16 More Science 18 17 Motorists: Read This and Stop Worrying 18 18 Old Monktonian Dinner 18 19 Our Business 18 20 Records for 1930 18 21 Source of a Novel 18 * A Trip to Oslo [*removed to Oversize Flat File] 18 22 Voice in the Wilderness 18 23 Untitled articles 18 24 Book Reviews Broadcasts 18 25 Freedom to Spend 18 26 My First Novel 18 27 Nightmare Before Babylon 18 28 On Useless Souvenirs 18 29 The Pace for Living 18 30 A Photograph of Mrs. Austin 18 31 Postscript 18 32 Siesta 18 33 Unfinished Novel 18 34 The Vehicle and the Book 18 35 War Office Calling the Army 18 36 The World of Books 19 1 Humorous Sketches 19 2 Letters to the Editor 19 3 Obituaries and Tributes 19 4-5 Speeches 19 6 Verse E. Other Writings 19 7 Greek History Notes 19 8 Oriel College Essays, October 1924 19 9 Sandhurst -- Staff College Papers, 1943 Paiforce: The Official Story of The Persia and Iraq Command 1941-46 20 1* Holograph notes and notebook [*oversize holograph map removed to Oversize Flat File] 20 2-3* Typescript [*oversize newspaper article removed to Oversize Flat File] F. Miscellaneous 20 4 Book Displays A Child Possessed and Image of My Father 20 5-6 Book Jackets II. Correspondence 21 1-6 Photocopies of correspondence between RCH and Martyn Skinner, 1957-75. Some used in book Two Men of Letters (M. Joseph, 1979) 22 1 BBC 22 2 Byng Kenrick Grammar School 22 3 Chetham-Strode, Warren Curtis Brown Ltd. 22 4 1961-69 22 5 1970-75 22 6 Re: Hutchinson-Skinner correspondence in Bodleian 22 7 Michael Joseph Ltd. 22 8 Miscellaneous III. Personal 23 1-2 Account books, literary earnings notebooks, 1928-63 23 3 Schoolboy diaries, 1922-23 23 4 Date books, 1971-75 and n.d. 23 5 British passport 23 6 Miscellaneous: catalogs, brochures, invitations IV. Works by Others 24 1 Anouilh, Jean. Le Voyageur Sans Bagage (scene III translated by RCH) 24 2 Green, Guy. Stephan's Child. Screenplay from RCH novel A Child Possessed. 24 3 Harries, The Rev. Richard, "Thought for the Day--4th July 1986." Sermon. 24 4 Lincoln, Elizabeth. March the Ninth. Television play from novel by RCH. 24 4 Post, Patricia. The Caravan of Culture. Typescript of unpublished novel. [not foldered] 25 Oversize Material