British Library acquires Elizabeth Barrett Browning letters and John Galsworthy archive

Thanks to NHMF funding the papers of these two celebrated writers will be preserved for the UK public.

An envelope with the lines of text written on the flap and postmarks on the front
Elizabeth Barrett Browning letter to her sister, Henrietta, from Paris, 10 June 1852. From the archive of the British Library (Add MS 89761).

Best known for the Forsyte Saga (1906–21), novelist and playwright John Galsworthy was the first President of PEN International and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932. The archive acquired by the British Library consists of 62 boxes and folders of correspondence and papers containing handwritten literary drafts and annotated copies of his printed works.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the UK’s most prominent female Victorian writers. The collection of 131 letters acquired by the British Library were written between 1846 and 1860, following the publication of Poems (1844), the successful volume for which she first became well-known.

Supporting literary heritage

The National Heritage Memorial Fund awarded £150,000 towards the acquisition of the Galsworthy archive and £245,550 towards the acquisition of the Barrett Browning letters. Additional funding came from the British Library Collections Trust and Friends of the National Libraries.

The acquisitions enhance the Galsworthy and Barrett Browning material already cared for at the British Library and will be available for research when cataloguing is complete. A selection of the archives will be digitised and made freely available online with the opportunity to see highlights in future exhibitions and displays.

A sheet of paper with handwritten text reading "Original Manuscript of The Dark Flower by John Galsworthy"
Autograph title page to the manuscript of The Dark Flower by John Galsworthy dated 17 April 1930. From the archive of the British Library (Add MS 89733 14, f.1).

Accessible to all

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: “The National Heritage Memorial Fund is delighted to support the British Library to acquire the John Galsworthy Archives and the Elizabeth Barrett Browning letters, adding these outstanding papers to the UK public collection to be cared for and accessible to all.

“John Galsworthy is a name familiar to many as the contributor of the Forsyte Saga to British literature. This incredible archive recounts captivating stories and relationships throughout his life, including correspondence with notable literary and historic figures such as Winston Churchill, J.M. Barrie, Thomas Hardy and Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as extensive manuscripts of his esteemed work.

“Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most important English writers of the 19th century, and one of a small number of female writers who achieved prominence in Victorian Britain. This collection of letters provides a fascinating insight into her life, her work and her views on social and political issues of the time.”

Discover the memorial collection

The heritage treasures we fund form a permanent memorial to those have given their lives for the UK. Explore the collection in our project archives.

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