The papers of author, educator, poet, and critic Donald Davie consist of his writings, published and unpublished, printed and in draft form, both manuscripts and typescripts, literary correspondence, personal and biographical data, materials pertaining to his academic career and other professional activities, works of his associates and colleagues, and writings by other twentieth century poets and authors, some of them Davie’s students. The earliest materials are letters Davie wrote as a young man in the Royal Navy in 1942 and the latest are his obituaries written in 1995.

The papers consist of these series:

The series Writing includes some printed material, but the majority of this series is in manuscript or typescript. An oversized box contains a handcrafted book of poems by Davie and photographs by his wife, Doreen Davie. These materials date from 1947 until 1988. The subseries are:

The series Correspondence (Literary) consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence. It is arranged alphabetically by the correspondent’s last name. These letters range in date from 1958 until 1989.

The series Personal and Biographical Data consists of a handwritten account of his wartime experiences in Russia, personal correspondence of that era, and his obituaries. These materials range in date from 1942 until 1995. The subseries are:

The series Academic Career consists of press clippings, materials relating to his university career in Britain, and his lecture notes, arranged by subject, in typescript and manuscript. Most of the lecture notes appear to date from his seven years at Trinity College Dublin. The items in this series range in date from 1951 until 1988. The subseries are:

The series Professional Activities consists of audiocassettes and reel-to-reel tapes recorded by Davie and materials from the journal PNR during the time Davie was editor. The materials date from 1972 until? The subseries are:

The series Associates and Colleagues consists of manuscripts and printed materials by Howard Warshaw and Peter Whigham, both colleagues of Davie at Stanford, whose works he supported and promoted. The materials in this series date from 1969 until 1983. The subseries are:

The series Writings by Others consists of critiques of Davie’s work and influence, proof copies Davie received to review, poetry of Davie’s students, and off-prints and books written by twentieth century poets and academics on the subject of poets and poetry. These materials range in date from 1922 until 1987. The materials dated in the 1920s are Xeroxed copies of material by Ivor Gurney (d. 1937), but they were copied for Davie in 1988. The subseries are: