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Muriel Spark, 1918-. British author

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200 items

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Muriel Spark is a native of Edinburgh, Scotland who has been a professional writer since the 1940’s. She has written 18 novels, seven volumes of poetry, several nonfiction studies, and numerous short stories, essays, and reviews. Her earliest work was for the British political intelligence office at the end of the Second World War and by the early 1950s, Spark was recognized as a poet and critic, although she had not yet produced any serious fiction. The winning of a fiction-writing contest in 1951 and the encouragement of her publisher led to her career as a novelist. Her first novel, The Comforters, was published in 1957. Since then she has written 17 novels, many of which are influenced by her religious views (she converted to Roman Catholicism in the early 1950’s) and most of which have been well-received by public and critics. Several of her novels have been adapted for the stage, film, and television, the best-known being The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961) which appeared on Broadway and in a film version. Her most recent books are Aiding and Abetting (2000) and The Complete Short Stories (2001). She was created a Dame in 1993.

The bulk of the Spark Papers consist of correspondence between Spark and British poet Derek Stanford, and correspondence between Spark and her literary agent. Correspondence with other literary figures is also included, as well as drafts of several poems and essays by Spark. Also present are two small notebooks bearing Spark’s autograph notes which include drafts of poems.

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