The collection comprises the personal library and literary archive of the poet John Hewitt which he bequeathed to the University of Ulster.
The superb library of over 5,000 books and journals, with its emphasis on Anglo-Irish literature, is an invaluable resource for the academic community. It includes rare volumes from the 'weaver-poets' of the eighteenth century and journals which Hewitt edited, as well as those to which he contributed. The library also preserves first editions of virtually every collection of Irish poetry since the 1950's.
The literary archive covers over 50 years of Hewitt's prolific and varied writing career. It contains notebooks of poems composed between 1926 and 1984, over 3,500 0f which are unpublished. The manuscript material includes drafts of autobiography, radio scripts from the 1940's and notes for his book about the rhyming weavers. There are also short stories, verse plays and reviews of books and art exhibitions.
The collection reflects Hewitt's enormous activity and influence on the development of art and literature in Northern Ireland, and provides an exciting resource for those engaged in research into our cultural heritage.
In a poem entitled Mosaic John Hewitt makes a plea for people to understand the whole picture and not selective pieces when reviewing historical personalities and events. This Web site, with examples from the John Hewitt Collection held at the University of Ulster at Coleraine as well as links to other John Hewitt web sites, aims to present "the whole mosaic" of his life and work. It holds examples from his personal library and literary manuscripts that reflect his activity and influence within the arts and across the whole community in the north of Ireland. All go to make up a life that is much more than a "handful of coloured stones in the dust".
The cataloguing project was made possible by the award of £50,000 by the HEFCE in May 1995. It will allow the personnal library and literary archive of Ulster poet John Hewitt (1907- 1987) to be organized, catalogued and made accessible to academic researchers throughout the UK and worldwide.
Access to the collection is available during the library's opening hours:-
For further information please contact Janet Peden, Sub Librarian
E mail je.peden@ulster.ac.uk
This Web site was designed and written by Sara While.
Page updated February 2004
