Guide to the Papers of Ian Moffitt [MSS 067]

Manuscript Name	Papers of Ian Moffitt
Manuscript Number	MSS 067
Last Updated	July 2021
Extent	36 boxes + 16 oversize + 1 AV box
Location	Special Collections, UNSW Canberra
Abstract	Correspondence, manuscripts and drafts of novels, newspaper clippings, photographs, and audiocassettes relating to Ian Moffitt’s literary works and newspaper feature writing

Collection Subject Type

Literary

Scope and Content

This collection relates to author Ian Moffitt and is largely comprised of his literary drafts for short stories, novels, and non-fiction, including The retreat of radiance, Blue angels, The colour man and Gilt edge. Also included are newspaper clippings, photographs, audiocassettes, and correspondence

Date Range of Content

1940s-mid 1990s

Biographical Note

Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Moffitt

Ian Moffitt was born in Sydney in 1926 and worked as a copy boy for the Sun before becoming a cadet in 1945. In 1949, Moffitt joined the staff of the South China Morning Post. He then headed News Limited Bureau in New York in the early 1960s, followed by time as a feature writer for The Australian in the late 1960s and 1970s. After becoming a full-time novelist in 1979, Moffitt published The retreat of radiance in 1982, the first of many publications including both fiction and non-fiction

References:
Austlit : Ian Moffitt https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A30585 retrieved 3 November 2020

Administrative Information

Access and Copying Conditions

Access: Check with Curator

This collection contains a variety of copyright material. Copyright is held by the creator of each item. Specific conditions for this collection are listed below. If no conditions are stipulated then the standard terms of the Copyright Act apply for published and unpublished items. Digitised material from manuscript collections is provided to clients by UNSW Canberra in good faith for private study and research only, and may not be published or re-purposed without the express and written permission of the individual legal holder of that copyright. Refer also to the UNSW copyright, disclaimer and takedown policy.

Copying: Check with Curator

Preferred Citation

Papers of Ian Moffitt, Special Collections, UNSW Canberra, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, MSS 067, Box [Number], Folder [Number].

Provenance

Check with Curator

Arrangement

The collection has been described in two main sequences (Sequence 1: Boxes 1-29; Sequence 2: Boxes 30-36). Folder numbering restarts at Box 30. Oversize material is listed after the standard box sequences

Separated Material

The collection originally included the following publications which were transferred to the Academy Library in 1992

Gilt edge (paperback), Pan Australia, 1991

My Australia published by Robert Gunn - Roberts Bridge Group, 1989

Panorama, December 1990 containing article by Ian Moffitt (photocopied)

Subject Keywords

Subjects

Ian Moffitt, 1926-2000 — Archives

Australian literature — 20^th century

Australian short stories — 20^th century

Journalism – Australia – History

Corporate Names

Daily Mirror (Sydney, N.S.W.)

Personal Names

Ian Moffitt, 1926-2000

Occupations

Authors

Journalists

Container List

Sequence 1

Box 1

Folder 1

First notebook, early 1940s

First published stories, 1940s

Folder 2

‘Australian Weekend’, book 5

First published stories

Folder 3

Clippings

Folder 4-6

Short stories - manuscripts

Box 2

Folders 7-9

‘Great budgie batsmen and bowlers’ - manuscript, drawings, lunatic correspondence with co-writer, Philip Gorr

Folders 10-14

Clippings of articles from The Bulletin

Box 3

Folder 15-16

The retreat of radiance: manuscript

Box 4

Folder 17

The retreat of radiance: printed copy

Folder 18

The retreat of radiance: final draft

Folder 19

The retreat of radiance: revised draft

Box 5

Folders 20-21

The retreat of radiance: draft

Box 6

Folder 22

Deadlines: manuscript

Folder 23

Deadlines: manuscript (paste up)

Folder 24

Deadlines: manuscript

Folder 25

Deadlines: manuscript

Box 7

Folder 26

Blue angels - duplicate: photocopies of chapters 1-30; carbons of chapters 31-42; carbons of earlier insets

Folder 27

Blue angels: final manuscript

Box 8

Folders 28-34

Blue angels: rough draft

Box 9

Folder 35-41

Blue angels: rough draft

Box 10

Folder 42

The colour man : final manuscript

Folder 43

The colour man : corrections and queries (manuscript title ‘The Presence of Evil’)

Folders 44

The colour man : rough, incomplete carbons and notes

Box 11

Folder 45

Blue angels: background material

Folder 46

Blue angels: corrected manuscript pages, notes

Folder 47

Blue angels: corrected manuscript, notes

Folder 48

Blue angels: developed into film treatments

Folder 49-51

Deadlines

Box 12

Folder 52

‘Presence of Evil’ (The colour man): copy of book

Folder 53

Blue angels: copy of book

Folder 54

Background leading to first novel - 1986 talk on The retreat of radiance at Sydney University

Folder 55

Death adder dreaming: research, correspondence

Folder 56

Summaries, backgrounds and talks on novels

Box 13

Folder 57

The retreat of radiance: copy of book

Folder 58

The colour man : hardback copy of book

Folder 59

The colour man : book

Deadlines: book

Folder 60

The U-Jack Society: book

Folder 61

The retreat of radiance: book

Folder 62

Time-Life book - The Australian outback

Folder 63

Great budgie batsmen and bowlers: book

Box 14

Folder

Folder 64

Death adder dreaming: draft, notes

Folder 65

Death adder dreaming: first draft, corrections, notes

Box 15

Folder 66

The retreat of radiance: book

Folder 67

The colour man : book

Folder 68

The colour man : manuscript and background

Folder 69

The colour man : manuscript and background

Box 16

Folder 70

Book reviews

Folder 71

Blue angels: reviews

Folder 72

Book reviews

Folder 73

[Photo removed from Box 16 to O/S]

Box 17

Folder 74-76

Newspaper clippings

Folder 77-78

Newspaper clippings - photocopies

Box 18

Folder 79-80

Newspaper clippings.

Folder 81

Newspaper clippings, includes ‘babysitter’ articles

Box 19

Folder 82-87

Newspaper clippings - photocopies

Box 20

Folder 88-94

Newspaper clippings - photocopies

Box 21

Folder 95

Newspaper clippings

Folder 96

Magazine clippings

Folder 97

Draft in form of correspondence to Mark Day, Editor of CAESAR magazine, c1978

Box 22

Folders 98-101

Newspaper clippings, 1961-1966

Folder 102

Newspaper clippings, c1960s

Box 23

Folder 103

Correspondence: letter to Lynn Hard with rough copies of covers for the books Guilt edge and The retreat of radiance; letter and page proof from Jane Palfreyman of Pan Books

Folder 104

Gilt edge: final manuscript, typewritten

Folder 105

Gilt edge: photocopied, typewritten copy (a mid-1990 version)

Folder 106

Gilt edge: typewritten copy - an early version (July 1989)

Box 24

Folder 107

Gilt edge: photocopied, typewritten copy - an early version

Folder 108

Gilt edge: revision of draft, dated 1989, typewritten and handwritten

Folder 109

Gilt edge: rough manuscript, dated February 1989, typewritten and handwritten

Box 25

Folder 110

Gilt edge: rough manuscript, dated May 1989, typewritten and handwritten.

Folder 111

Gilt edge: draft, dated May 1989, typewritten and handwritten.

Folder 112

Gilt edge: photocopy of typewritten draft, dated 1990

Folder 113

Gilt edge: selected pages of draft, April 1990 - rewrite

Box 26

Folder 114

Gilt edge: typewritten photocopy, dated 27 February 1991

Folder 115

Gilt edge: notes and corrections, dated November 1990 - January 1991

Folder 116

Gilt edge: final draft, January 1991, typewritten, photocopy

Folder 117

Gilt edge: typewritten draft

Box 27

Folder 118

Gilt edge: original final copy, dated February 1990 - selected chapters, typewritten

Folder 119

Gilt edge: manuscript - an early version - typewritten, photocopy

Folder 120

Gilt edge: early drafts, background notes, handwritten and typewritten

Folder 121

Gilt edge: re-edit, December 1990, typewritten

Box 28

Folder 122

Gilt edge: re-write, November - December 1990

Folder 123

Gilt edge: typewritten manuscript (not final version)

Folder 124

Gilt edge: original final copy, dated 2 May 1990

Box 29

Folder 125

Gilt edge: miscellaneous notes and clippings

Folder 126

‘My Australia’: typewritten and handwritten drafts of material

Sequence 2

Box 30

Folder 1

Literary drafts – Blue angels (1987)

Manuscript with corrections and additions, 321 pages [331 pages is stated on the cover page], preceded by letter dated 27 June 1986

Folder 2

Literary drafts – Blue angels (1987)

Revised manuscript, 331 pages, October 1986, preceded by letters dated 26 September, 31 October, and 3 November 1986

Folder 3

Literary drafts – Blue angels (1987)

Revised manuscript, 333 pages, November 1986, preceded by three letters, two dated November 13 and November 24 1986

Box 31

Folder 4

Literary drafts – Blue angels (1987)

Page proofs, 239 pages [not full set] November 1986, preceded by two sets of correspondence: (i) Ian Moffitt and Macmillan Company, 28 November 1986 – January 1987; and (ii) Ian Moffitt and Macmillan / Goodman Associates, 7-28 January 1987

Folder 5

Literary drafts – Blue angels (1987)

‘Replaced material’ manuscript (undated)

Folder 6

Literary drafts – Blue angels (1987)

Manuscript, 331 pages (undated)

Box 32

Folder 7

Literary drafts – Death adder dreaming (1988)

Manuscript of draft version, approximately 400 pages (undated)

Folder 8

Literary drafts – Death adder dreaming (1988)

Galley proofs with corrections, 377 pages [1988?]

Folder 9

Literary drafts – Death adder dreaming (1988)

Final corrected version after correcting galley proofs, 377 pages, preceded by letter dated 20 June 1988 and note that August 1988 is the intended publication date

Folder 10

Literary drafts – Death adder dreaming (1988)

Untitled handwritten notes (undated)