Literary Manuscripts : Masterpieces in the Making

Description

Author: Rachael Marsay

General & world history

Published on 22 October 2026 by Bodleian Library in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 272 pages, 115 Illustrations, colour
258 x 220 x 29 | 1340g

This beautifully illustrated book explores the stories behind over fifty literary manuscripts held at the Bodleian Library. Covering a time span of nearly three millennia, the book features the work of some of the worlds best-known authors, including novelists, poets, dramatists and childrens writers.

Centuries-old items include papyrus fragments of work by Homer and Sappho, Cdmons Hymn as featured in an 11th-century manuscript, and 15th-century illuminated manuscripts of works by Christine de Pizan and Geoffrey Chaucer. Manuscript pages in the authors own hand give a rare insight into the drafting process from the sixteenth century onwards. Novelists drafts range from The Watsons by Jane Austen, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Mrs Lirripers Lodgings by Charles Dickens, to John le Carrs biro annotations on typescript for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Philip Pullmans neat drafts for Lyras Oxford on narrow-lined A4. Poems by Christina Rossetti, Thomas Hardy, Wilfred Owen and Jenny Joseph are included alongside well-loved childrens stories such as The Wind in the Willows, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Paddington Goes to Town.

Also featuring portraits and photographs held in the archives, this book delves into authors lives, the fascinating stories behind the creation and composition of their works, and the afterlives of their manuscripts.