The Barry MacSweeney Collection
More than any other British poet MacSweeney was possessed by the knowledge
that, being one of those gifted with language, he was also cursed. His was a
true 'sickness vocation' – questing for the heats and silks of fame, firework
effects, the dazzle of a Michael McClure shriek cut with French decadence.
-- Iain Sinclair, Lights Out for the Territory: 9 Excursions in the
Secret History of London (London: Granta, 1997), p. 156.
Barry MacSweeney, poet, was born in 1948 in Newcastle upon Tyne and attended Rutherford Grammar School. He left school at 16 to become a cub reporter on the Newcastle Evening Chronicle and then moved on to study journalism at Harlow Technical College in 1966. He subsequently worked on various provincial newspapers including the South Kentish Times, the Evening Dispatch, Darlington and the South Shields Gazette. He later worked as a freelance journalist, contributing to national newspapers and most recently worked as the North of England correspondent for the shipping and insurance newspaper Lloyd’s Lists.
As a poet, MacSweeney commenced writing early and, as a consequence of maturing in Newcastle during the 1960’s was influenced by the vigour of the poetry scene at that time. At the offices of the Chronicle he came into contact with Basil Bunting who was then working as sub editor. Bunting’s poetry, and those of younger contemporaries, could be heard at the Morden Tower, an enterprise set up by Tom Pickard and his wife Connie, who organised readings by influential local, national and international poets. MacSweeney was both contributor and participant at these readings and, following from his organising a poetry event in the Summer of 1967, his first book of poems The Boy from the Green Cabaret Tells of his Mother was published by Hutchinsons in 1968 under the New Authors series. The book was well received and sold well and at 19, MacSweeney was catapulted into the public domain by being nominated for the Oxford Chair of Poetry by Hutchinsons. It was a pure publicity stunt; MacSweeney received three votes, but lost a lot more personally. Afterwards he found it difficult to be published by mainstream publishers and set up his own press, Blacksuede Boot Press in 1970. He published prolifically during the 1970’s and 1980’s, some published as short works, others as parts of mixed anthologies or in small presses or little magazines with small or local distribution. His style was both urban and naturalistic and reflected the love of the city, in particular Newcastle, but it also reflected his great awareness of the land and sea on the city’s peripheries.
After the debacle of the Poetry Chair in 1968, MacSweeney looked towards the Cambridge school of poets. In particular, MacSweeney became close friends with Jeremy Prynne but the group as a whole can be seen to have influenced the development of MacSweeney's poetic style. Some of the archive material relates to material passed between this group.
In the 1990’s with the publication by mainstream publishers of Pearl and The Book of Demons he was recognised as a talent by a new audience and in 1997 he received the Paul Hamlyn Award for The Book of Demons. In 1996 he was runner up in the Northern Arts Artist of the Year Award.
In 1967, aged 19, Barry MacSweeney hosted the Sparty Lea Poetry Festival near Allenheads, Northumberland. The Festival was a huge success, bringing together a wide variety of poets including Jeremy Prynne, Tom Pickard, Connie Pickard, Andrew Crozier, Peter Riley, John Hall and Pete Armstrong. During the mid 1970's MacSweeney served as chairman of the Poetry Society, whilst also teaching journalism and creative writing. In the 1980s Barry went on to work as a voluntary tutor in adult literacy in Newcastle.
Alcohol dependence and subsequent ill health led to his early death in May 2000.
The papers were given to the library by the family of Barry MacSweeney in May 2001. Additional material in the form of small gifts to the archive have been given by Robert Sheppard, Nate Dorward and Peter Riley.
Barry MacSweeney: A Selected Bibliography
The Boy from the Green Cabaret Tells of his Mother (1968)
The Last Bud (1969)
Just 22 and I Don’t Mind Dying (1971)
Brother Wolf (1972)
Fools Gold (1972)
Black Torch (1973)
Odes: 1971-1978 (1978)
Ranter (1985)
Pearl (1995)
The Book of Demons (1997)
For a complete bibliography of works by MacSweeney up to 1997 see The Book of Demons.
MacSweeney also contributed various articles to journals including Maxy’s Journal, Modernism and Modern Writing, Poetry Information, and Angel Exhaust.
Critical studies of MacSweeney’s work
Clive Bush, Out of Dissent: A Study of Five Contemporary British Poets
(London: Talus, 1997).
Clive Bush, Worlds of Measure: An Anthology of Five Contemporary British
Poets (London: Talus, 1997).
Peter Hampson and Peter Barry, eds. New British Poetries: The Scope
of the Possible (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1993).
Scope and content of the Papers
The papers of the poet Barry MacSweeney consist of draft and published works, correspondence, literature reviews, poetry publications, photographs and newspapers articles.
There is correspondence from a range of MacSweeney’s friends, fellow poets and family including material from Clive Bush, Pete Bland, Tim Fletcher, Nicholas Johnson, Jackie Litherland, Maggie O’Sullivan, Eric Mottram, Elaine Randall, Jeremy Prynne and Chris Torrence, as well as letters from his immediate family, letters and publication agreements from publishers and correspondence relating to the Poetry Society.
The papers feature many examples of MacSweeney’s journalism, including articles written for provincial newspapers throughout the 1970's. Many of the press cuttings and some photographs are preserved in scrapbooks dating between the 1970s to 1990s. The scrapbooks also contain articles written by Barry as the North of England correspondent for Lloyd's Shipping Lists, which concern Tyne shipping and the shipping industry in general.
The papers also include a considerable amount of published and unpublished material by other poets. This includes recently published material sent to Barry for commentary and discussion.
The papers also incorporate a large number of poetry magazines and review publications. Many of these items are now housed in the MacSweeney Library, in the School of English Literature. Language and Linguistic Studies at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. The MacSweeney Library is a separate collection of Barry's books, journals and music. The Library is ope to researchers who will find a description of the contents and access conditions given below.
System of Arrangement
The papers are in the process of being catalogued. A brief handlist of the material is available, but see below for access conditions.
Access to the Papers
The Barry MacSweeney Papers are held in the Special Collections department of Newcastle University Library. The papers are not yet fully catalogued and are not yet open to researchers. Limited access, at the discretion of the Special Collections Librarian, may be granted under certain circumstances. Appointment in advance and proof of identity required.
All inquiries regarding the MacSweeney Papers should be directed to the Special Collections Librarian at the Robinson Library, University of Newcastle, Back Jesmond Road West, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4RU. E-mail: lib-specenq@ncl.ac.uk, tel: (0191) 222 5146.
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Reproduction
The library can provide photocopies (to a limit of 30 at any one time) for educational
and private research purposes, provided the condition of the document does not
prevent copying. Alternatively, photographic or digital images can be produced
for educational and private research purposes. Please contact the Special Collections
Librarian for further advice (email: lib-specenq@ncl.ac.uk).
Copyright
Permission to make published use of any material from The Barry MacSweeney
Papers must be sought in writing from the Special Collections Librarian (email:
lib-specenq@ncl.ac.uk) and from the
copyright owner. The copyright of material in the MacSweeney Papers and of works
by Barry MacSweeney remains with the MacSweeney family. The responsibility to
obtain copyright clearance rests with the user. Barry MacSweeney’s brother,
Paul McSweeney, can be contacted at the following email address and is happy
to answer further enquires: paul-mcsweeney@hotmail.co.uk.
The School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics Barry MacSweeney Library
The material collected in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics consists of Barry MacSweeney's personal library, which was donated to the School in 2001. The Library includes hundreds of books, poetry pamphlets, poetry journals, music and photographs that Barry collected over his lifetime. The poetry pamphlets and journals may be of considerable interest to researchers as, in many cases, they are the products of small or privately run local presses.
The Library is a particularly rich resource for those researchers working in the areas of contemporary British poetry and the poetry of the North East of England. The MacSweeney Library contains a diverse mix of established and lesser known writers and includes poetry books and pamphlets by such notable figures as Basil Bunting, J.H. Prynne and Eric Mottram. The MacSweeney Library is also an excellent resource for the thriving creative writing and postgraduate communities in the School of English at Newcastle.
The Eric Mottram Collection in King's College Archives, University of London, also holds recordings and other material by Barry MacSweeney. For more information see: www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/iss/archives/
Access and contact information
The MacSweeney Library is open and details of the library are available on application. Proof of identity is required for access and please ensure that appointments are booked in advance. Please note that books cannot be borrowed or removed from the Library.
For an appointment to visit the Library please contact Mrs Rowena Bryson at the School of English by e-mail: Rowena.Bryson@ncl.ac.uk, or by telephone, (0191) 222 7761.
Applications may also be made in writing to: School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Percy Building, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom.
Links
Robinson Library Special Collections homepage
School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics homepage
University of Newastle upon Tyne homepage
Description complied by Helen Arkwright, Manuscripts and Archives Librarian,
January 2002 and updated in December 2004.