Table of Contents

Restrictions on access

Unrestricted access.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Source

Purchase, 2003.

Citation

[after identification of item(s)], John Banville collection, Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book LibraryEmory University.

Biographical Note

John Banville was born December 8, 1945 in Wexford, Ireland. He attended St. Peter's College (Wexford, Ireland) and went on to become one of the most renowned Irish prose writers of his generation. His novels include, Nightspawn, Birchwood, Doctor Copernicus, Kepler, The Newton Letter: An Interlude, Mefisto, The Book of Evidence, Ghosts, Athena, The Untouchable, Eclipse, and Shroud. These novels have won several awards including the Allied Irish Banks Prize (1973), American-Irish Literary Award (1976), Guardian Fiction Prize (1980), and Britain's Booker Prize (2002). Banville also served as literary editor for The Irish Times from 1988-1999. As literary editor he was a strong advocate for European and postcolonial literature, arguing for the importance of previously overlooked voices.

Scope and Content Note

The John Banville collection consists of the literary materials of John Banville as collected by his brother, Vincent Banville. The collection includes typescripts of several of Banville's novels and plays, correspondence from John Banville to his brother, scrapbooks of Banville's printed material, an d family photographs. The correspondence in this collection includes letters from John Banville to his brother Vincent from 1958-1980. Though there are only a few letters, the information contained within them is significant, including Banville's critiques of his brother's writing, wedding plans, and impressions of American life. The series also contains typescripts and proofs of several of Banville's novels and plays. Of particular interest are the notes written to his brother throughout the typescripts. The novels and plays are arranged chronologically. Also present are clippings either by or about Banville from various newspapers. The photograph series contains portrait photographs of Banville alone as well as pictures of Banville with his family from childhood to the present.

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Selected Search Terms

Personal Names

Banville, Vincent.

Topical Terms

Authors, Irish--20th century.

English literature--Irish authors--20th century.

Form/Genre Terms

Manuscripts.

Photographs.

Plays.

Scripts.

Occupation

Author.