MS 924
Reference code
MS 924
Title
Hugo Williams archive
Level
Sub-fonds
Administrative / Biographical history
Williams, Hugo (20 February 1942-present)
Hugo Williams is the eldest son of actor Hugh Williams and the model and actress Margaret Vyner. They are best known as co-authors of the play and film The Grass Is Greener.
Williams was educated at Locker's Park preparatory school and Eton College. He left school at 17.
In 1966 he married Hermine Demoriane, with whom he had one daughter.
Between 1961 and 1970 he worked for the London Magazine as assistant editor; between 1983 and 1988 for the New Statesman as a television critic and poetry editor; between 1989 and 1991 for the Sunday Correspondent as theatre critic and between 1993 and 1998 he worked for Harpers & Queen as a film critic.
He is also a regular contributor to the "Freelance" column in the Times Literary Supplement and is a writer on popular music for Punch as well as a poetry editor for the Spectator.
He has published eleven books of poetry and won the Queen’s Gold medal for Poetry in 2004 for his Collected Poems. Among many other awards he has won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and the T. S. Eliot Prize.
In addition he also wrote 2 travel books.
Hugo Williams is the eldest son of actor Hugh Williams and the model and actress Margaret Vyner. They are best known as co-authors of the play and film The Grass Is Greener.
Williams was educated at Locker's Park preparatory school and Eton College. He left school at 17.
In 1966 he married Hermine Demoriane, with whom he had one daughter.
Between 1961 and 1970 he worked for the London Magazine as assistant editor; between 1983 and 1988 for the New Statesman as a television critic and poetry editor; between 1989 and 1991 for the Sunday Correspondent as theatre critic and between 1993 and 1998 he worked for Harpers & Queen as a film critic.
He is also a regular contributor to the "Freelance" column in the Times Literary Supplement and is a writer on popular music for Punch as well as a poetry editor for the Spectator.
He has published eleven books of poetry and won the Queen’s Gold medal for Poetry in 2004 for his Collected Poems. Among many other awards he has won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and the T. S. Eliot Prize.
In addition he also wrote 2 travel books.
Date
1963-2014
Extent & medium
4 Series
57 boxes
57 boxes
Content description
The collection comprises Williams’ working papers: this includes autograph manuscripts and typescripts of all eleven of his poetry books, as well as his anthologies, his prose writings, some notebooks and articles. The creative process in publishing the works is also represented by correspondence with publishers and proofs of the final text.
The drafts are a complete collection of what has survived, however further revisions were likely, as in some cases substantial alterations were made to the poems in between the surviving drafts and the published version.
The autograph corrections are in Williams’ hand unless otherwise stated.
The papers enable researchers to track the various versions of the poems and other writings, which were rewritten and revised multiple times as Williams perfected his work.
The collection represents Williams’ creative output and does not contain childhood, personal or family papers. However his life and experiences were reflected in his work.
The drafts are a complete collection of what has survived, however further revisions were likely, as in some cases substantial alterations were made to the poems in between the surviving drafts and the published version.
The autograph corrections are in Williams’ hand unless otherwise stated.
The papers enable researchers to track the various versions of the poems and other writings, which were rewritten and revised multiple times as Williams perfected his work.
The collection represents Williams’ creative output and does not contain childhood, personal or family papers. However his life and experiences were reflected in his work.
Provenance
The papers were collected and maintained by Hugo Williams throughout his life
Arrangement
Williams arranged the papers according to publication either during the creative process or before transfer to Eton College, with his poetry seperated from his prose work. This arrangement has been maintained and is reflected by the following series:
01 Poetry
02 Edited Collections
03 Prose
04 Song lyrics for Jeremy Clyde
Within the three series, each publication form a separate sub-series and placed in publication order by the cataloguing archivist to reflect the creative order.
01 Poetry
02 Edited Collections
03 Prose
04 Song lyrics for Jeremy Clyde
Within the three series, each publication form a separate sub-series and placed in publication order by the cataloguing archivist to reflect the creative order.
Conditions of access and use area
Copyright is held by Hugo Williams
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