The Walmsley (Anne) Collection is named for the person that formerly owned the books. It contains poetry and prose by Caribbean and black British writers, including Kamau Brathwaite, Derek Walcott (the Nobel Prize for Literature winner), Olive Senior and Samuel Selvon. Some of the books contain additional material such as correspondence and some of the books are inscribed to Anne by the authors.

Consists of the personal archive of Anne Walmsley including material relating to talks, articles and publications, correspondence, diaries and scrapbooks, material relating to her University work and her qualifications and degrees.

Consists of digital copies of the personal diaries of the poet Rosemary Tonks, plus correspondence between Tonks and Joan Moat from the University of Exeter, and photocopies of Tonks' personal records including birth, death and marriage certificates.

Consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of Sean O'Brien's published and unpublished work, as well as articles and press cuttings relating to his work. Also includes O'Brien's personal notebooks from 1970 onwards, correspondence from and to O'Brien in both a personal and professional context, and miscellenous material relating to his cultural roles and activities including jobs, residencies and fellowships.

A collection of 20th century British and American authors, including avant-garde local author Barry MacSweeney and “Black Mountain poet” Robert Creeley: the ephemeral and rare nature of the “hasty editions” and the presentation inscriptions attest to the authors’ closeness with Ric and Annie Caddel, whose Pig Press played an important part in the British Poetry Revival.

A rich collection of mainly Anglo-American poetry with authors’ presentation inscriptions which offer a glimpse into the vast interpersonal network of relationships which Tom Pickard established around the Morden Tower venue over four decades with modernist poets including Basil Bunting, Barry MacSweeney and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

Personal papers of Jack Mapanje including correspondence, press cuttings, books and draft manuscripts relating to his time as a political prisoner in Malawi, the campaign for his release and the publication of his poetry.

The collection spans the poet’s entire creative life and includes journal issues, volumes and ephemeral “hasty editions” associated with spoken word events. Presentation inscriptions in many items attest to the friendship between Barry MacSweeney and his former journalist colleague Terry Kelly.

The personal papers of local poet Barry MacSweeney (1948-2000), who was an important figure in the Modern Poetry Revival, include manuscripts and published works, correspondence, literature reviews, poetry publications, photographs and newspapers articles.The correspondence includes a range of MacSweeney's friends, fellow poets and family including material from Clive Bush, Pete Bland, Tim Fletcher, Nicholas Johnson, Jackie Litherland, Maggie O'Sullivan, Eric Mottram, Elaine Randall, Jeremy Prynne and Chris Torrence.

A rich collection of mainly English, Scottish and American poetry and publications relating to the craft of producing verse. The presentation inscriptions point to Roddy Lumsden role as mentor to younger poets on both sides of the Atlantic.