One handwritten note 'Rejected chapers - also earlier typed versions of the book replaced by present 1st typed versions'. With rejected chapters, 26 leaves. Undated.

One leaf, handwritten in blue ink, with notes by author on Afterword. Handwritten draft of the Afterword to Fly Away Peter, 5 pages, April 1981. Photocopy of typescript draft with handwritten emendations of the Afterword, 13 leaves, numbered 127 to 139,

Eight leaves of handwritten notes, and 54 leaves of typescript, with handwritten emendations for the opera Voss.

One leaf, handwritten in blue ink, with notes by author on rewritten passages. Rewritten passages in second typescript draft, 5 leaves, 1981?

One leaf, handwritten in blue ink, with details of accompanying typescript. First typescript draft, written in Brisbane in April 1981, handwritten emendations in blue ink, hand written numbering on all pages (one is missed), 105 [sic 106] leaves. Accompanied by small note about a mistake in numbering of pages numbers 3 and 4 (not counted in total number of leaves).

One leaf, handwritten in blue ink, with details of accompanying typescript. Second typescript draft, written in Brisbane in April - May 1981, handwritten emendations in red and black, handwritten numbering on all pages (one is missed), 126 [sic 127] leaves.

One leaf, handwritten in blue ink, with notes by author on rewritten chapters. Rewritten chapters in second typescript draft, 16 leaves, 1981? Chapter 8 becomes chapter 9 in final manuscript. Chapters 10 and 15 also renumbered in final draft. With handwritten corrections in blue ink, handwritten page numbers in bottom left -hand corners.

Correspondence to David Malouf regarding the opera Voss:

1. Peter Hemmings to Malouf, 1p, 20 Mar 1979
2. Peter Hemmings to Malouf, 1p, 23 May 1979
3. Tim Curnow (Curtis Brown) to Malouf, 1p, 14 Jun 1979, includes two letters from Peter Hemming to Curnow
4. Antony Jeffrey to Malouf, 2p, 17 Aug 1979
5. Peter Hemmings to Malouf, 1p, 6 Sep 1979
6. Antony Jeffrey to Malouf, 1p, 18 Sep 1979
7. Jim Sherman to Malouf, postcard, 8 Oct 1979
8. Antony Jeffrey to Malouf, 1p, 13 Oct 1979
9. Richard Meale to Malouf, 2p, 13 Oct 1979
10. Richard Meale to Malouf, 2p, 16 Jun 1980
11. Antony Jeffrey to Malouf, 2p, 8 Jul 1980
12. Richard Meale to Malouf, 3p, 14 Mar 1981
13. Richard Meale to Malouf, 2p, 11 Aug 1981
14. Copy of letter from Moffatt Oxenbould, Artistic Administrator, Australian Opera to Tim Curnow regarding the contract for Voss, 1p, 2 Jun 1983
15. Richard Meale to Malouf, 1p, 4 Jul 1983
16. Stuart Challender to Malouf, 1p, 22 Apr 1986
17. Jim Sharman to Malouf, 4p, 29 Apr 1986

The file is comprised of: Early notes for dialogue, 2 leaves ; Letter to Richard Meale from Malouf, 1 leaf, 20 Jun 1979, with early dialogue notes on verso; Marked up copy of the Penguin Modern Classics 1960 published edition of Voss by Patrick White, sections of text marked in black pen, handwritten notes on last page and inside back cover.

One page, handwritten in blue ink, with notes by the author on the original handwritten draft that accompanies it. Original first handwritten draft, 12 sheets of paper, some folded in half and written on both sides, in red and blue biro and black ink. From the accompanying note: This was usually referred to as 'Birds'; Written at Campagnatico in 1981; “Birds was originally to be a long story of some 15,000-20,000 words; the opening of a collection which would include 'Sorrow & Secrets', 'Musica Viva' and several more.”