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Consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of Sean O'Brien's published and unpublished work, as well as articles and press cuttings relating to his work.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.

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 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.

Books published by independent publisher IRON Press based in Cullercoats. Includes copies of IRON magazine which ran from 1973 and 1997 publishing art work, reviews, short stories and poetry. The book collection comprises of poetry, fiction and drama and is particularly strong in work from local authors.

Consists of material relating to published and submitted works, marketing sales and publicity, funding applications and literary events hosted by IRON Press.

Contains the personal archive of poet Vincenza Holland including notebooks; diaries; published and unpublished material; and correspondence with poets local to the North East. Includes drafts of her poetry collection 'Mrs Turnbull's Tree' which was published by Bloodaxe Books in 1990.

Between 1966-73 Holland lived abroad with her family. First in newly independent Lesotho - a country surrounded by apartheid South Africa - but also for 18 months on Corfu. Holland was politically and socially engaged in what was happening around her, and her archive contains many collected documents, cuttings and ephemera relating to her travels.

Consists of the working papers and correspondence of the poet Selima Hill.