David Watmough fonds
1941-1997
Multiple media
David Arthur Watmough was born August 17, 1926 in Leyton, Essex, near London, England. His parents Gerald Arthur Watmough and Ethel Florence Bassett returned to the family's native Cornwall soon after, and David Watmough passed his childhood on a farm in St. Kew, near Bodmin, Cornwall. From 1937 to 1943 Watmough was educated at The Cooper's Company School, London, after which he was briefly employed as a reporter for The Cornish Guardian, Bodmin. He saw active service as an Ordinary Seaman in the Royal Navy from 1944 to 1945 when he was discharged. Watmough returned to London to read theology at King's College at the University of London until 1949 when he took his degree. His studies at King's College led him to France to research on the Catholic priest-worker movement, from which he produced a book, A Church Renascent (published in 1951). In 1949 Watmough moved to France, travelling to Paris, Lyons and Marseilles to complete this first book, while also tutoring English. In Paris in 1951 he joined company with Floyd St. Clair, an American who remained a lifelong companion. Watmough arrived in New York in 1952 and travelled to Palo Alto, California where he audited courses in creative writing given at Stanford University by Wallace Stegner. Returning to the East coast he assumed employment as an assistant editor at the Holy Cross Press, West Park, New York from 1953 to 1954. With his father's illness in the spring of 1955 Watmough returned to England to become a Talks producer for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Third Programme, and in 1956 an editor with Ace Books, London. Watmough travelled again to the United States in 1957, to San Francisco where from 1957 to 1960 he continued to write fiction, completed a book on D.H. Lawrence, and was a critic and feature writer for The San Francisco Examiner and book reviewer for KPFA Radio and KQED Television stations. For the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) he covered the 1961 and successive summer International Vancouver Festivals as a music and theatre critic.
Watmough settled permanently in 1962 in Vancouver, Canada, becoming a Canadian citizen in 1969 following several years as a freelance broadcaster for the CBC hosting Talking About Books from 1961 to 1967 and as a columnist on visual arts and theatre for The Vancouver Sun from 1965 to 1969. As a critic Watmough wrote for the London journal Opera, and reviewed for The New York Times Book Review, The Spectator, Canadian Literature, Canadian Theatre Review, Saturday Night and other journals. By the mid sixties he began to write plays such as Friedhof, produced in Canada and in Europe, and My Mother's House Has Too Many Rooms, produced in the United States, and others which aired on CBC Television and Radio. In 1968 he presented dramatic monologues entitled Pictures from a Dying Landscape in Vancouver, Toronto, New Jersey and New York City, and soon was performing these monodramas on radio and touring across Canada, the United States, West Germany and the United Kingdom. In British Columbia Watmough was head in 1968 and 1969 of creative writing at the Okanagan Summer School of the Arts, served as the first president of the Writers Federation of British Columbia, and represented British Columbia writers for The Writers Union of Canada; he also served as first chairman of the writers' guild for the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists. A book of plays, Names for the Numbered Years, was published in 1967 by Bau-Xi Art Gallery of Vancouver in a limited edition illustrated by Claude Breeze.
During the seventies Watmough performed widely, wrote and published several collections of short stories and monodramas including Ashes For Easter and a novel No More Into the Garden, made an LP recording of Pictures from a Dying Landscape, and received a Canada Council Senior Arts award, in 1976. From 1979 to 1981 he hosted his own arts programme ArtsLib for CBC Television. He edited the Vancouver Fiction anthology and wrote The Unlikely Pioneer, a history of Western Canadian opera centering on Irving Guttman, both books appearing in 1985. In the eighties Watmough contributed to a number of anthologies, published a second novel The Year of Fears, and continued to write numerous short stories, some of which were published in three collections, The Connecticut Countess, Fury, and Vibrations in Time, which was also released as a recording on compact disc and cassette. From 1991 to 1993 he was a regular columnist for Vancouver Step magazine and completed a third novel published in 1992, Thy Mother's Glass, and then published a fourth in 1994, The Time of the Kingfishers, as well as continuing to write short stories as 'connected fictions' such as Hunting With Diana. For half a century Watmough was engaged in writing not only as an author and activist, but additionally as a correspondent with many literary figures, notably W. H. Auden, Margaret Laurence, Timothy Findley, Maria Tippett, and Jane Rule, as well as visual artists John Koerner and Gordon Smith, among others.
The history of the records is marked by their continuous custody by David Watmough until his donation to the University of British Columbia Library in 1997.
The fonds consists of records generated and assembled by David Watmough related to his life and career as a novelist, short story writer, playwright, monodramatist and performer, poet, critic, broadcaster, journalist, and teacher. The fonds includes series of records arranged in twenty divisions, with the greatest portion related to writing and literary production: novels, short stories, plays and dramas, monodramas, poetry and songs, nonfiction books, diaries and journals, essays, collections and anthologies, recordings, reading scripts and performance files, radio and television broadcast scripts and project files, film scripts, lectures, addresses, and orations, journal articles, interviews, and reviews of books, exhibitions and theatre performances, as well as correspondence, finance and business files, subject files including published material about Watmough and copies of published material by him, and ephemera and miscellanea. The arrangement of records in files by the creator has been respected where such order exists. The fonds contains textual records, both manuscript and typewritten as well as computer generated, some printed, published material, an occasional sketch or drawing, several sound recordings of Watmough performing, a small number of electronic records, and a number of photoprints and slides kept with the original files where possible. Some monodramas have been retained in the original bindings provided for performance by the creator.
Title based on contents of fonds.
Further accruals are anticipated.
Novels
1954-1994
2.25 m of textual records and 2 floppy disks
Series consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of novels, fragments of novels, edited copies of novels with manuscript corrections and revisions, printers' proofs and galleys, and files containing novel outlines and research notes, as well as two floppy disks with electronic records of corrected versions of a novel.
Folders containing related drafts or versions of the same title have been arranged together and these groups placed in a roughly chronological sequence beginning in the 1950s. Dates of records are indicated when known; much of the material is undated.
Title based on contents of series.
Short stories
1951-1995
60 cm of textual records
Series consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of short stories, edited copies of stories with manuscript corrections and revisions, fragments of stories, and files of related notes.
Folders containing related drafts or versions of the same title have been arranged together; short stories with known dates are followed by undated stories in alphabetical order by title. Much of the material is undated.
This series of short stories is closely related to a series of records pertaining to collections and anthologies that include David Watmough's stories, a series consisting in part of collected short stories and of groups of short stories conceived serially by Watmough as "connected fictions."
Title based on contents of series.
Plays and dramas
[1960s]
40 cm of textual records
Series consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of plays and dramas (exclusive of monodramas) and edited copies of versions of plays and dramas with manuscript corrections and revisions.
Folders containing related drafts or versions of the same title have been arranged together; dated plays and dramas in chronological order are followed by undated plays or dramas in alphabetical order by title. Much of the material is undated.
Title based on contents of series.
Monodramas
1973-1976
5 cm of textual records
Series consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of monodramas or dramatic monolgues.
This series of monodramas is related to a series of records pertaining to reading scripts and performance files, consisting in part of scripts created for the performance of monodramas.
Folders containing related drafts or versions of the same title have been arranged together; dated monodramas in chronological order are followed by undated monodramas in alphabetical order by title.
Title based on contents of series.
Poetry and songs
Poetry and songs
1950-[1990s]
4 cm of textual records
Series consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of poetry, some with corrections and revisions, as well as a manuscript notebook of poetry with loose leaves of poetry enclosed, and songs of prose.
Folders with dated poems have been arranged in chronological order followed by folders of undated material ordered alphabetically by title.
Title based on contents of series.
Nonfiction books
[ca. 1955]
20 cm of textual records
Series consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of an unpublished nonfiction book on D.H. Lawrence, A Lover for Lorenzo, edited copies with corrections and revisions, as well as a file of research notes.
No manuscript drafts of David Watmough's first nonfiction book, A Church Renascent, have been received by The University of British Columbia Library; a copy of the published work from 1951 is held in the Library's Special Collections.
Title based on contents of series.
Diaries and journals
1952-1995
30 cm of textual records
Series consists of files and notebooks containing an American journal kept by David Watmough from 1952 to 1955, with some enclosed loose journal entries written in France and Vancouver in the 1970s, as well as a set of diaries in bound volumes, one through eighteen, kept by Watmough from 1977 to 1995.
The records have been arranged chronologically in one series.
Title based on contents of series.
Essays
[ca. 1950]-1994
2 cm of textual records
Series consists of typescript drafts of essays, some with manuscript corrections and revisions, and research notes for essays.
Folders containing dated essays have been arranged chronologically, followed by undated essays in alphabetical order by title.
Title based on contents of series.
Collections and anthologies
[ca. 1976-ca. 1995]
50 cm of textual records
Series consists of typescript drafts of collected short stories, groups of short stories conceived and written serially by David Watmough, edited copies of collections and serial stories with manuscript corrections and revisions, and files related to an anthology edited by Watmough.
Folders containing related drafts or versions of the same collection title have been arranged together; dated material in chronological order is followed by undated records in alphabetical order by title.
This series of collections and serial stories is closely related to a series of individual files of short stories.
Title based on contents of series.
Recordings
1963-1992
34 sound recordings and 1 cm of textual records
Series consists of eight sound recordings by David Watmough for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on 6.35 mm audio tape, twenty-six sound recordings of readings, interviews, and radio broadcasts on audio tape cassette, and two files of reviews, letters, notes for liner text, distribution notes, and publicity tour plans for a commercial sound recording, Vibrations, 1991, of Watmough reading collected short stories.
Dated recordings are arranged chronologically, followed by undated recordings in alphabetical order by title.
Title based on contents of series.
Reading scripts and performance files
[1960s]-1995
25 cm of textual records
Series consists of typewritten scripts prepared for readings of short stories or excerpts of novels and for performances of monodramas, with some performance annotations and revisions.
Folders containing related scripts or versions of the same title have been arranged together; dated scripts and files have been arranged chronologically, followed by undated scripts in alphabetical order by title.
This series of reading scripts is related to a series of drafts of monodramas.
Title based on contents of series.
Radio and television broadcast scripts and project files
[1957]-1981
50 cm of textual records
Series consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of scripts for radio and television broadcast, project files for radio and television programmes, programme research notes, texts of interviews, versions of plays adapted or revised for radio and television, and radio plays.
Folders containing related material of the same title have been arranged together; dated records have been arranged chronologically, followed by undated records in folders alphabetically by title.
Title based on contents of series.
Film scripts
1989
3 cm of textual records
Series consists of two files of manuscript and typescript drafts of a film script by David Watmough, as well as film timeline, research notes, author's invoice and project notes, relating to I Called Her Lootsas, a film about a boat made by Haida artist Bill Reid.
Title based on contents of series.
Lectures, addresses, and orations
1960-1991
15 cm of textual records
Series consists of manuscript and typescript texts of lectures and sets of lectures on literature and art, together with lecture notes, addresses to schools, community groups, and other audiences, funeral orations, festschrift remarks, wedding toasts, and Christmastime prayers.
Folders containing related drafts or versions of lectures and addresses of the same title have been arranged together; dated material in chronological order is followed by undated texts in alphabetical order by title.
Title based on contents of series.
Journal articles, interviews, and reviews
1952-1994
20 cm of textual records and 7 colour slides
Series consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of articles, interviews, and reviews of books, exhibitions, music and theatre performances, as well as files of research notes for particular journals, and project files (including one file of colour slides) related to particular articles.
Folders containing related drafts, versions, or notes for articles of the same title have been arranged together; folders of dated records in chronological order are followed by undated records in alphabetical order by title.
Title based on contents of series.
Correspondence
1955-1995
35 cm of textual records
Series consists of correspondence, including manuscript and typescript letters, cards and attachments received, and copies of letters sent.
Folders of correspondence have been arranged chronologically by year.
Series is closely related to two subseries: correspondence files with particular individuals, and correspondence files regarding particular affairs.
Title based on contents of series.
Correspondence files with particular individuals
1954-1995
35 cm of textual records
Subseries consists of correspondence files with particular individuals, maintained by David Watmough, of letters, cards, and attachments.
Files have been arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
This subseries forms part of a more general correspondence series, and is related to a subseries of correspondence files regarding particular affairs.
Title based on contents of subseries.
Correspondence files regarding particular affairs
1955-1995
40 cm of textual records
Subseries consists of correspondence files maintained by David Watmough of letters, cards, and attachments regarding particular affairs predominantly business matters related to Watmough's career as author, performer, and journalist.
Files have been arranged alphabetically by subject regarded.
This subseries forms part of a more general correspondence series, and is related to a subseries of correspondence files with particular individuals.
Title based on contents of subseries.
Finance and business files
1956-1994
12.5 cm of textual records
Series consists of financial records and business files, including contracts, receipts, correspondence, and other records of transactions.
Title based on contents of series.
Subject files
1954-1994
50 cm of textual records
Series consists of files of material assembled and maintained for reference by David Watmough, related to various subjects.
Files arranged alphabetically by title.
Title based on contents of series.
Subject files of material regarding David Watmough
1941-1995
45 cm of textual and graphic records
Subseries consists of files of material regarding David Watmough, including published material, reviews, programmes, press releases and publicity material, biographical material and personal documents, as well as drawings and other material assembled in files by Watmough.
Files arranged alphabetically by title.
This subseries forms part of a more general series of subject files, and is related to a subseries of subject files of published material by Watmough.
Title based on contents of subseries.
Subject files of published material by David Watmough
1956-1994
30 cm of textual records
Subseries consists of files of copies of published articles, reviews, and other writing by David Watmough, and five scrapbooks of newspaper and journal articles by Watmough.
Files arranged alphabetically by title.
This subseries forms part of a more general series of subject files, and is related to a subseries of subject files about Watmough.
Title based on contents of subseries.
Ephemera
1954-1992
3 cm of textual and graphic records
Series consists of ephemeral material assembled by David Watmough, including posters, letterpressed sheets of poetry, pamphlets, and an inscribed shopping bag.
Title based on contents of series.
Miscellanea
1930s-1990s?
Multiple media
Series consists of miscellaneous fragments of unidentified textual records, twenty-two colour and black and white photoprints, a set of negatives for a poster advertising David Watmough's monodrama performances, a childhood stamp collection and two plastic cases with twenty-one 13.5 cm floppy disks storing electronic records circa 1985-1986.
Title based on contents of series.