Forest of Dean Writers Collection
The Forest of Dean Writers Collection is a two-year project. It’s a partnership between the Dean Heritage Centre and the University of Gloucestershire. Together, we aim to create a unique collection of literary papers from Forest of Dean authors.
This collection will cover over 200 years. The Forest of Dean, recognised mainly for its landscape and industry, has also long functioned as a centre of creativity and literary heritage.
The National Heritage Lottery Fund awarded £133,873 to the project in 2023. Since then, the Dean Heritage Centre has added over 1,000 literary objects and documents to its collection. Our amazing local volunteers have taken great care in conserving and cataloguing many items. These include playscripts, draft manuscripts, poems, photographs, letters, notebooks, children’s stories, and artworks. Since November 2024, they have dedicated over 460 hours to this project.
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The new collection features unique materials, including:
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Previously unknown poems by ‘Forest Poetess’ Catherine Drew (1784–1867).
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Works by Leonard Clark OBE (1905–1981), a poet, biographer, and literary editor.
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Valerie Grosvenor Myer (1935–2007), known for her academic and biographical writing, wrote a never-before-seen novel.
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A memoir by Fred Boughton (1897-1985), a former collier and farmer, written in Forest dialect with a ‘Queen’s English’ translation.
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Forest Dialect playscripts and artworks by Harry Beddington, a playwright and humourist.
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The project is working with two local schools. It aims to create new teaching materials. This will engage young people with the lives and work of local writers.​​
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Lists of Works
Click here to download a list of documents relating to Ralph Anstis
Click here to download a list of documents relating to Fred Boughton
Click here to download a list of documents relating to Catherine Drew
Click here to download a list of documents relating to Gladys Duberley
Click here to download a list of documents relating to Valerie Grosvenor Myer
Click here to download a list of documents relating to the MINTEC Players
Click here to download a list of documents relating to the Ruardean Drama Group
We are now cataloguing materials about other Forest authors. This includes Leonard Clark, Harry Beddington, F.W. Harvey, and Humphrey Phelps. We will make lists of documents for these authors available when we complete their full cataloguing. If you would like to enquire about these items, please get in touch.
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You can view the Forest of Dean Writers Collection, but please make an appointment first. For questions about the Forest of Dean Writers Collection, contact Nicola Wynn, the Collections Officer, at Nicola@deanheritagecentre.com.