Papers of Elspeth Huxley [1921-1988]

Family correspondence, 1922-1977; notes, diaries and material for publicationsrelating to East Africa, [1937-1988]; typescripts of White Man's Country: Lord Delamereand the making of Kenya, etc. (London, Macmillan and Co., 1935), Nellie. letters from Africa. with a memoir by ElspethHuxley (London, Wiedenfeld and Nicolson, 1980) and Out in the midday sun. my Kenya (London,Chatto&Windus, 1985), [1935-1985]; transcripts of talks and articles,1937-1981; newspaper and journal cuttings, 1921-1969; pamphlets and journalscontaining Huxley's articles, 1941-1978; published biographical writings,20th century.

Elspeth Josceline Huxley (1907-1997) took the post of Assistant Press Officer tothe Empire Marketing Board, London in 1929. After leaving the Board in1932 she travelled widely in Africa, America and elsewhere. During thisperiod she published her first book, White Man's Country: Lord Delamereand the making of Kenya, etc. (London, Macmillan and Co., 1935). Sincethen she has produced a number of novels and factual works with Africansettings, including The flame trees of Thika. memoirs of an Africanchildhood (London, Chatto and Windus, 1959). She has also contributed agreat deal on African affairs to both press and radio. She was a member ofthe BBC General Advisory Council from 1952 until 1959 when she wasappointed U.K. Independent Member of the Advisory Commission for theReview of the Constitution of the Federation of Rhodesia (MoncktonCommission).

Bodleian reader's ticket required.

Collection level description created by Paul Davidson, Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House.

Listed as no. 919 in Manuscript Collectionsin Rhodes House Library Oxford, (Oxford,Bodleian Library, 1996). A handlist is also available in the library reading room.

No reproduction or publication of personal papers without permission. Contact the library in the first instance.

Further papers were deposited by Elspeth Huxley in November 1989; four additional pamphlets were deposited by Robert Cross on 21st April 1998.

The library holds two separate sets of Elspeth Huxley papers (refs. MSS. Afr.s. 782 and 2332).