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Peter Carey Collection

The Library’s archive of Peter Carey’s works and personal documents provides a fascinating glimpse into the creative mind of one of Australia's most celebrated authors.

A major research repository of international standing, our Carey Collection has a long history. In 2001 the Library acquired its first significant purchase, including all the papers dealing with The True History of the Kelly Gang plus Carey’s correspondences with publishers and editors.

Since then the Library has acquired an enormous archive, including electronic copies of every major novel produced by Peter Carey since 2001, plus extensive drafts, related papers, notebooks and other material dealing with nearly all the major novels over the same period.

In 2022, thanks to a generous donation from the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation, the Library’s Peter Carey Collection expanded with the acquisition of items including:

  • The complete physical and electronic drafts of Peter’s most recent novels Amnesia and A Long Way from Home;
  • Over 10,000 digital documents covering papers, drafts, notes, speeches;
  • 70,000 emails covering more than 15 years’ interactions with writers, colleagues, critics, editors and friends.

As someone who immersed himself in the digital space early in his career, the acquisition of this latest electronic record is vital for understanding Peter Carey’s craft and processes as a writer.