1:45. Graham Greene to James Greene - 11/28/1960?, 1960, bulk: 1960 - 1960

The James Greene Papers consist of an exchange of correspondence between the eminent British novelist Graham Greene and his nephew James Greene, son of Sir Hugh Greene, well-known BBC correspondent and official (director general, 1960-1969). The letters span over a decade from late 1977 to 1989. A total of forty-three original signed letters from Graham Greene respond to the thirty-six typescript letters from his nephew, which have been spiral bound in a paginated volume together with typed transcriptions of the original letters from Graham Greene. The collection offers a private view of the long-distance and primarily epistolary relationship between the writer and his nephew. In his avuncular role, Graham Greene appears both humorous and compassionate. His responses, though often brief, are full of literary as well as familial advice to his nephew whose letters range over a wide variety of topics from his own literary vocation and poet's aspirations to extremely personal experiences including the death of his father Sir Hugh Greene, his relationship with common law wife Clara Mafra and their daughter Camilla.

Bulk dates: 1977 1989 Span dates: 1977 1989 Extent: 0.25 linear feet, 1 box Processed March 19, 1990

NOTE: A second acquisition of correspondence from Graham Greene to James Greene has been appended to this register in the Addendum. This represents a revised finding aid together with a new index reflecting the new data.

Datespan: 1960 - 1990 Extent: 9 additional folders. Provenance: Acquired from James Greene, 1991. Processed August 13, 1991.

Synopsis

Series: 1. Graham Greene Correspondence (Box 1, Folders 1-43) This series contains forty three signed letters from Graham Greene to his nephew James Greene. The correspondence is arranged chronologically with one letter per folder. The letters reply to correspondence from JG (see typescripts of the entire exchange of correspondence in Series 2, Folder 44).

Series: 2. James Greene/Graham Greene Letters Typescript (Box 1, Folder 44)

This series contains one item: a spiral bound typescript of the entire exchange of correspondence between James and Graham Greene from November 22, 1977 through May 31, 1989. All of the transcribed letters here from Graham Greene correspond to the originals itemized in Series 1. Itemization of letters in Series 2 will therefore only cover the letters by James Greene. The order of itemization follows the sequence of letters as bound.

The total of thirty-six letters from James Greene are interspersed with copies of his poems originally included and sent to his uncle.

The whole bound volume is entitled "Nepotism," and includes a foreword by James Greene entitled, "On Not Getting to Know Graham: An Epistolary Relationship." Many of the letters are annotated by James Greene.

Note: In this finding aid, numbers appearing in brackets indicate the page number on which a letter appears in the spiral bound copy.

Series 3. Addendum (Folders 45-53)

This series constitutes a second acquisition of letters from Graham Greene to James Greene. Arrangement is chronological. Abbreviations ALS Autograph letter signed TLS Typed letter signed GG Graham Greene JG James Greene