The Brewer-Leigh Hunt Collection
A comprehensive gathering of books and manuscripts by and about English writer James Henry Leigh Hunt (1784-1859). More on the collection can be found here.
The Edmund Blunden Collection
About 650 books and pamphlets (poetry, biography, and criticism) plus an estimated 1,000 manuscript drafts of letters, poems, and essays by or related to the English poet Edmund Blunden (1896-1974). Blunden’s work includes a biography of Leigh Hunt.
Late Twentieth Century English Writers
The Department collects books in all editions plus manuscripts by Angus Wilson (1913-1991) and Iris Murdoch (1919-1999).
The University of Iowa has played a leading role in the teaching of writing for over a century, and collecting archival resources related to writing has long been a keen interest of the Department. This page links to to secondary pages that list novelists, novelists, story writers, dramatists, poets, screenwriters, journalists, cartoonists, literary editors, and others whose papers document various aspects of writing and publishing.
The Thomas Ollive Mabbott Poe Collection
A scholar’s library of books relating to the life and times of Edgar Allan Poe assembled by Professor Thomas Mabbott, the collection also contains volumes of early 19th century literary journals to which Poe contributed or which he edited, many “gift books” popular during his lifetime, and copies of works of poetry and fiction which Poe reviewed. Through the Mabbott-Poe fund, the Department acquires textually and bibliographically important editions, such as the first Australian edition of Poetical Works (1868) and publications of Poe’s works by fine presses. In 2003 and 2005 the collection was greatly increased with the gift of illustrated versions of Poe’s works by Burton Pollin who had collected them in preparing his Images of Poe’s Works: A Comprehensive Descriptive Catalogue of Illustrations (Greenwood Press); part of this collection is described in the finding aid for Mabbott’s papers which include a goodly number of Poe appearances in original periodical issues as well as an exhaustive collection of early Poe criticism. See also “Thomas O. Mabbott as Teacher” by Patricia Edwards Clyne.
The Iowa Authors Collection
Started in 1945, today this collection holds 20,000 printed volumes by over 2,000 authors closely identified with the state of Iowa as well as related manuscript material. While there are books in all genres in the collection, literary works receive special emphasis. Children’s books are also included. The collection has first and subsequent editions, including translations, paperbacks, large print editions, and limited editions. Authors include Max Allan Collins, Janet Dailey, Paul Engle, Jeannette Eyerly, Hamlin Garland, MacKinlay Kantor, Leigh Michaels, Wallace Stegner, and Ruth Suckow. Textbooks, magazine articles, and edited works are not acquired and the writings of The University of Iowa faculty members or other scholars are generally not in the collection. Books published by the University of Iowa Press are, however, held in University Archives.
The Julie Englander Collection of Contemporary Literature
Currently about 1000 volumes, this collection consists of books presented to Ms. Englander by authors she has interviewed on “Live from Prairie Lights,” her radio program broadcast on WSUI radio. Most are works of fiction and poetry inscribed to her.
M. Horvat Collection of Science Fiction Fanzines
A collection of thousands of fanzines and other material documenting the history of science fiction literature and fandom in the twentieth century.