Clifford Dyment papers

Manuscript and typescript papers, [?1932]-[c. 1965], of the poet and author Clifford Dyment, comprising poetry, [?1932]-[?1965] (ff. 1-76), and miscellaneous prose, [1948]-[c. 1965] (ff. 77-95).
The poems appear to be mainly unpublished; those which appear in his published collections are 'Mouse' (f. 12) (Straight or Curly (London, 1937), p. 36), 'The Suicide' (f. 35) (Experiences and Places (London, 1955), p. 42), and ff. 46-76 which are drafts, [1955]-[1965], of sixteen out of the twenty-eight new dream poems in section VI of his Collected Poems (London, 1970), pp. 89-102 passim; 'Gedicht voor mijn Verjaardag', [late 1950s] (f. 37), is a Dutch translation by G. K. van het Reve of Dyment's 'Poem for my Birthday' (f. 36). The prose includes a corrected typescript, [1948], of the introduction to Thomas Hood, Selected Poems, ed. by Clifford Dyment ([London], 1948) (ff. 77-88, see also f. 26 verso); a draft letter to Bernard Miles, [early 1950s] (f. 89); and part of an essay on his dream poetry, [c. 1965] (ff. 91-92). Many of the later items are written on the backs of old letters, circulars and other ephemera as well as fragments of a typescript for his autobiography The Railway Game (London, 1962) (ff. 44 verso, 45 verso, 48 verso, 76 verso). A photocopy of the front cover of the original binder is f. i.

Arranged at NLW as follows: poetry; prose (both groups arranged in broad chronological order).

Title based on contents.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 23955E.

June 2011

Description compiled by Rhys Morgan Jones.

Previously in folder bearing the title 'Clifford Dyment material from Robert Greacen'; sold at auction at Ludlow Racecourse Sale, 15 February 2007, lot 309, and purchased by C. R. Johnson.

See also NLW MS 24080D.

Published