This collection consists of the papers of David Thomson, author, researcher and BBC radio producer. It includes the scripts and correspondence of many BBC radio programmes from the 1950s and 60s, original scripts and correspondence regarding his published and unpublished books, and additional correspondence spanning forty five years working for UNESCO, the BBC, and as a full time writer.

The papers consist of manuscript notes (folio 1), the typescript submitted to the BBC (folio 23), a carbon copy of the same text, heavily corrected in manuscript (folio 71), the corrected typescript of a later version (folio 117), and some fragments (folio 164).

Most of the typescripts are undated, and relatively few have been published. Some of the one-act plays were written for amateur drama groups competing in Scottish Community Drama festivals. Joe Corrie sometimes wrote more than one play with the same plot, and he would alter an act of a longer play to make it a one-act play in its own right. He also adapted some of his stage plays for broadcasting.

The play was first performed in 1937, and a revised version published in 1971. MSS.26335-26336 are annotated acting copies: MS.26335 appears to have been used in several productions (for another similar typescript, see MS.26465). MS.26336 includes the later revisions in manuscript, and MS.26337 is a carbon typescript of the revised version.

Tom Hanlin worked as a coalminer at Armadale, West Lothian, until 1946 and much of his fiction is set in Scottish mining communities.

Most of the typescripts are undated, and relatively few have been published. Some of the one-act plays were written for amateur drama groups competing in Scottish Community Drama festivals. Joe Corrie sometimes wrote more than one play with the same plot, and he would alter an act of a longer play to make it a one-act play in its own right. He also adapted some of his stage plays for broadcasting.

Includes "At the Turn of the Century", "The Little Pet", "The Independence Sports" and the plays "The Scarlet Woman" and "A Matter Between Macdonalds".

This collection contains typescripts of the novellas and short stories of Agnes Owens, including many of the stories which formed part of 'Lean tales' (Cape, 1985) and 'People like that' (Bloomsbury, 1996). Several short stories present in this collection were only published for the first time in 'The complete short stories' (Polygon, 2008).

Many of the typescripts have annotations and corrections in the hands of Agnes Owens, Alasdair Gray and others.

The contents are as follows. (i) Two typescripts of ‘The Cailleach’ (folio l). The play was published by A and J Donaldson in ‘Seagull plays, second collection’ (Glasgow, 1946), pages 3-16. (ii) Carbon copies of two typescripts of 'The Smuggler' (folio 42). The first has a few manuscripts corrections. The play was published in ‘Chapman’ xliii-xliv (1986), pages 20-33.

Most of the typescripts are undated, and relatively few have been published. Some of the one-act plays were written for amateur drama groups competing in Scottish Community Drama festivals. Joe Corrie sometimes wrote more than one play with the same plot, and he would alter an act of a longer play to make it a one-act play in its own right. He also adapted some of his stage plays for broadcasting.

Contains the following plays: (i) 'Ae Fond Kiss', undated (folio 1). A play about Robert Burns. For a related play, see MS.26493, folio l40. (ii) 'Aftermath', circa l930 (folio l5); (iii) 'Assassination', circa l935 (folio 40); (iv) 'At the Sign of the Fallen Angel: a thriller', undated (folio 61); (v) 'The Bad Yin: a Scots play', circa l955 (folio 90); (vi) 'Brief Authority', ?circa l950 (folio ll2).

Contains the following plays: (i) 'The Burden of War', circa 1960 (folio 1). This is related to some of the scenes in 'Red Sky at Morning' (MS.26507). (ii) 'The Deer', ?circa 1950 (folio 34); (iii) 'The Editor', circa 1957 (folio 60); (iv) 'The Gold-digger: a Scots comedy', circa 1950 (folio 84); (v) 'The Gold Find', undated (folio ll5); (vi) 'Harry's Wife', undated (folio l36).

Contains the following plays: (i) “The King o' Kinedder”, circa l955 (folio 1); (ii) 'The Last Day', undated (folio 27); (iii) 'The Life Nut: a comedy', ?1939 (folio 50). The first page of dialogue is missing. (iv) 'The Lion and the Lamb', undated (folio 75); (v) 'Love takes a Turn: a comedy', undated (folio l06); (vi)) “A Man's a Man; or Burns amang the Gentry”, undated (folio l40); The beginning of a play on the same theme as 'Ae Fond Kiss' (MS.26490, folio 1).

Contains the following plays: (i) 'The Old Pioneer', 1958 (folio 1); (ii) 'The Old Tradition: a rural comedy', circa 1960 (folio 31); (iii) 'The Palace Chimney Sweep', undated (folio 65); (iv) Three versions of 'Playing with Fire', a comedy, undated (folio 89). The first version, which has the title 'There's many a slip', has been typed on the back of part of a typescript of another play, “The Flo'er o' Lowther”.

Including:

1. corrected typescripts of "Prisoners of War", 1914, and "Barley, Honey and Wine", circa 1923

2. plays

3. letter, undated, of George Bernard Shaw to Mitchison, commenting on "Barley, Honey and Wine".