| Admin History | This collection of the work of the English philosopher/author Colin Wilson [1931- 2013] was acquired by the University of Nottingham in 2009 from Wilson's bibliographer Colin Stanley [1952- ]. Managing Editor of Paupers' Press, Stanley is also one of Wilson's publishers, editor of Colin Wilson Studies (a series of critical essays written by scholars of his work worldwide) and author of Colin Wilson's 'Outsider Cycle': a guide for students (2009).
Colin Stanley first discovered Wilson's work in 1970 and the collection has accumulated since then. In 1981, when working as a librarian at Nottingham University's Hallward Library, he wrote to Wilson suggesting he compile a bibliography of the author's work. Wilson responded enthusiastically and thus began a collaboration and friendship which survived until Wilson's death, with Stanley making annual visits to Wilson's home in Cornwall to consult and record the author's vast body of work. |
| Custodial History | The collection was acquired by the University of Nottingham in 2009. |
| Description | This collection contains:
Books/Pamphlets wholly or jointly written by Wilson: over 450 items, many rare titles and signed first editions.
Short fiction by Wilson in anthologies.
Essays/Short non-fiction written by Wilson: over 450 items, original and photocopied.
Introductions, Forewords, Prefaces, Afterwords to other authors' work by Wilson: 130 books.
Book Reviews by Wilson: Over 200 items, original and photocopied.
Other Media: Audio and Video cassettes, CDs, DVDs of lectures by Wilson on philosophy, psychology and a variety of other subjects.
Books about Wilson and his work: 31 items
Books mentioning Wilson and his work: 40 items
Interviews with Wilson and essays about his work: 160 items, original and photocopied.
Unpublished items about Wilson's work: dissertations, theses etc
Manuscripts of several of Wilson's published and unpublished books.
Correspondence between Wilson and scholars Colin Stanley, Nicolas Tredell, John Shand and Steve Taylor.
Miscellanea: photographs, posters, publicity material etc |
| Publication Note | The first edition of the bibliography by Colin Stanley was published as "The Work of Colin Wilson: an annotated bibliography and guide" by Borgo Press in 1989. This was updated by a second edition in 2006.
Stanley has also published the Festschrift "Colin Wilson, a celebration: essays and recollections" (London: Cecil Woolf, 1988) to celebrate, belatedly, the 30th anniversary of Wilson's most famous philosophical study The Outsider. Apart from critical essays, this volume contained important reminiscences of the 1950s by some of the other so called Angry Young Men. |