Created by Eva Ibbotson during the course of her writing career.
Collection of material relating to the writing and publication of works by Eva Ibbotson. Material includes draft manuscripts and typescripts; notes; proofs; correspondence; newspaper articles; photocopied illustrations; and book jackets and posters.
The original order of this collection has been maintained. Collection is arranged as follows:
Material has been appraised and weeded for duplicates.
Donated to Seven Stories, the Centre for Children's Books, by Eva Ibbotson in 2004
Accessible to all researchers, by appointment only.
Contains draft material such as manuscripts and typescripts, notes, and corrected proofs, for the following titles:
EI/01/01: 'The Great Ghost Rescue'
EI/01/02: 'Which Witch?'
EI/01/03: 'The Haunting of Hiram C. Hopgood'
EI/01/04: 'The Witches of Wellbridge' [aka 'Not Just a Witch']
EI/01/05: 'The Secret of Platform 13'
EI/01/06: 'Island of the Aunts' [aka 'Monster Mission']
EI/01/07: 'Journey to the River Sea'
EI/01/08: 'The Beast of Clawstone Castle'
Contains draft typescripts, a proof, and a screenplay adaptation.
File contains two draft typescripts, both titled 'Humphrey the Horrible'. The first typescript is annotated with alternative pencil text towards the end of the typescript. The second typescript incorporates this changed text, and includes annotations with typesetting instructions and further corrections.
Photocopied proof, annotated with typesetting and printing instructions.
Typescript of a screenplay adaptation of 'The Great Ghost Rescue', adapted for screen by Chris Dickinson in 1997. The screenplay is accompanied by a letter to Eva Ibbotson from Dickinson, dated 12th March 1996, explaining his reasons for omitting some scenes. The letter makes clear that this draft is not the first draft. Although the letter refers to the screenplay, the screenplay itself is dated 1997.
Contains two draft typescripts, material relating to a theatre adaptation of the book, and some notes on talking to children in schools.
Two draft typescripts, the first of which is annotated with corrections. The second typescript is a photocopied version of the first (although the first includes additional annotations which were presumably done after the photocopy was made), and includes photocopied illustrations.
File includes material relating to the theatre adaptation by Caroline Small (Head of Drama at Hope Valley College, Derbyshire) of the novel. Includes two typed playscripts, the first of which is annotated, and a theatre programme for the production.
Typed draft talk, written for school visits, about how Ibbotson writes her books. Although this was included with the other 'Which Witch' material, it was written after this book was published, as the text refers to other books published after 'Which Witch'.
Heavily annotated draft typescript, separated into chapters. On several occasions sticky tape has been used to paste sections of text over each other. The file indicates that an early title for the novel was 'The Picture Palace Ghost'.
Annotated draft typescript of 'The Witches of Wellbridge', which was published under the title 'Not Just a Witch'. Sticky tape has been used on several occasions to paste sections of text on top of each other. The typescript has been separated by chapter.
Typescript draft, which indicates that the original title for the book was 'Going through the Gump'. The typescript is sparsely annotated in pencil.
Photocopy of the UK edition of 'Monster Mission' (re-titled 'Island of the Aunts' in the US), annotated with amendments for publication in the US.
Contains a large annotated typescript of different early versions of the novel, and a proof.
Early typescript versions of 'Journey to the River Sea', referred to in the file as 'Amazon novel'. The typescript is largely separated by chapter, and chapters appear at several different times throughout the typescript. Some chapters are labelled 'version one'. Some parts of the typescript are quite different to the published version of the book, as the story is told from a first person perspective. The typescript also includes some plot development notes.
The original order of this file has been maintained.
Proof copy of the novel, for the US publication of the book. Annotated with printing instructions and corrections. Throughout the proof Post-It notes have been stuck onto the back of pages with further instructions.
Two notebooks with manuscript text, featuring plot notes and ideas, as well as passages of text for the story and some sketch illustrations. One of the notebooks suggests that an original title for the book was 'Last Cows'.
File of correspondence, including letters regarding the translation and illustration of Ibbotson's works, in particular 'The Secret of Platform 13' and 'The Worm and the Toffee-Nosed Princess'; a postcard from Michael Morpurgo about 'The Star of Kazan'; an invitation to a reception hosted by 10 Downing Street; a postcard from 'Linora' about the nomination of 'Journey to the River Sea' for the Whitbread Book Award, and about Philip Pullman; a letter about the publication of some of Ibbotson's works in Canada; and a picture drawn by a child, featuring a character from 'The Secret of Platform 13'.
The original order of this file has been maintained.
File of cuttings, some photocopied, from newspapers and magazines, featuring reviews of several of Ibbotson's books, and information about Ibbotson herself. Also present in the file is a photocopy of a Carnegie Medal Commendation certificate for 'Which Witch?' (1979), and a publicity photo of Ibbotson.
The original order of this file has been maintained.
File includes photocopied rough illustrations by Russell Ayto for 'The Worm and the Toffee-Nosed Princess' (includes a cover letter from Emily Kent at Hodder Children's Books - see correspondence file EI/02 for another letter); photocopied rough illustrations by Kevin Hawkes for 'Not Just a Witch'; photocopied illustrations by Alice Englander as a 'test' for 'Not Just a Witch'; photocopied illustrations by different illustrators for 'Dial-a-Ghost'; photocopied illustrations by Sue Porter for 'The Secret of Platform 13'; and photocopied illustrations by an unidentified illustrator for an unidentified book (possibly 'Monster Mission').
File of book jackets and posters for the following titles:
'The Great Ghost Rescue' (Macmillan and Piper editions)
'The Haunting of Hiram' / 'The Haunting of Hiram C. Hopgood' (Macmillan and Piper editions)
'Which Witch?' (Macmillan edition)
'Not Just a Witch' (Piper editions)
'Monster Mission' (Macmillan editions - hardback cover includes letter from Macmillan)
'Dial a Ghost' (Macmillan editions)
'The Worm and the Toffee-Nosed Princess' (Hodder and Piper editions)
'Journey to the River Sea' (Macmillan edition)
'Which Witch?' and 'The Secret of Platform 13' combined volume (Macmillan Canada edition jacket and poster)
'The Star of Kazan' (Dutton edition)
'Not Just a Witch' and 'Dial a Ghost' combined volume (Macmillan Canada edition)
Poster advertising Eva Ibbotson (in Italian)