About the library

The International Anthony Burgess Foundation cares for a library and archive relating to the life and work of Anthony Burgess (1917-1993), the core of which was donated by Burgess’s widow, Liana (1929-2007), in 2003 from their homes in Bracciano, London, Lugano and Monaco.

The Burgess Foundation's book collection consists of more than 8000 volumes, most of which formed Burgess's private library. The books were acquired by Burgess and his family at a variety of different times and for a variety of reasons. Some books date from the period of Burgess’s school and university studies in Manchester in the 1920s and 1930s; some were sent to Burgess as gifts and document his wider interactions and friendships; some were acquired through Burgess's role as a literary critic and reviewer; and some served as key reference texts for novels and other projects that Burgess worked on. The high number of works by James Joyce, William Shakespeare, DH Lawrence, and Vladimir Nabokov, among others, in the library reveal particularly favoured authors.

The content of the collection is diverse and reflects the breadth of Burgess's interests. Topics include:-

• Language and linguistics
• Literary criticism
• Poetry
• Drama
• Social science: Education, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Sexology, Social Anthropology / Sociology
• Geography and travel
• History and politics
• Biographies, autobiographies, collected letters and diaries
• General fiction
• Art
• TV and film
• Music

The library also contains novels and other literary works by Burgess (in English and in translation); books and journals to which Burgess contributed; and critical materials.

The Burgess Foundation continues to acquire new editions of works by Burgess and related critical materials. A collection of 137 books, largely consisting of titles by Burgess and by, or relating to the study of, James Joyce, were donated to the Burgess Foundation in c.2003 by Peter Lees. A further 47 titles which were confiscated from Burgess on his arrival in Malta in 1968 were purchased by the Burgess Foundation in 2018 and added to the library.

The International Anthony Burgess Foundation also contributes to the Archives Hub. To browse descriptions of their archive materials, visit their Archives Hub information page.

Accessing materials

Can I see live document availability on Library Hub Discover? No.

Can I obtain items via inter-library loan? No - this library does not participate in the inter-library lending scheme.

Can I visit the library to view materials? See the library's website for access details. If you wish to visit it is advisable to contact the library in advance, to ensure that they can accommodate you and that the material you need will be available.

Location

Browse all of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation Library records in Library Hub Discover here.