| Description | Five bundles of letters and papers relating to the publication of Orwell's early works by Gollancz Ltd:
Correspondence relating to the publication of 'A Clergyman’s Daughter' in 1935, comprising 26 items, 6 of these autographed Orwell letters
Correspondence relating to the publication of 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying' in 1936, comprising 40 items, 5 of these autographed Orwell letters
Correspondence relating to the publication of 'The Road to Wigan Pier' in 1937, comprising 64 items, 3 of these autographed Orwell letters
Correspondence relating to the publication of 'Inside the Whale' in 1936, comprising 14 items, 2 of these autographed Orwell letters and a signed contract for the book
Correspondence file relating to George Orwell publishing, though not relating to a specific book, 1940-1967, comprising 16 items
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| AdminHistory | Sir Victor Gollancz formed one of the most influential publishing houses of the 20th century and quickly set the pattern that was to mark his entire career as a publisher, issuing both best sellers and works supporting his favoured causes. Gollancz supported numerous causes including social welfare, pacifism, abolition of capital punishment. Through the Left Book Club, which he founded in 1936, he mobilised intellectuals and the public in the fight against fascism, and after World War II he was a leader in organizing relief efforts in Europe, especially in Germany, through the Save Europe Now campaign. At home his private and public work was credited with helping to lay the groundwork for the postwar Labour government and the creation of the modern British welfare state. He was also George Orwell’s first publisher.
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| CustodialHistory | After Victor Gollancz died in 1967, the company was sold to Houghton Mifflin, a Boston based independent publishing company in 1989 and then to Cassell plc in October 1992. It was at this time that some of the company archives were deposited in Warwick University Modern Records Centre. Victor Gollancz Ltd was incorporated into Orion Books in 1998. Victor Gollancz’s personal archives are also held at Warwick.
It appears that another warehouse of material was dispersed in 2018, when the warehouse it was stored in was closed and the documents were split between dealers, booksellers and libraries. These included the Orwell files described above.
The files were bought by UCL from Peter Harrington and Jonkers Rare Books in February 2025.
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