Comprises:

1. Diary entries on Child’s Play and Fly Away Peter, Jan and Feb 1981, removed from annual calendar, titled on front page.
2. Diary of a trip to Lebanon and Syria with Carmen Callil [editor at Chatto & Windus], Apr 1994, A6 notebook, [Ca. 100p].
3. Typescript from a diary: account of a trip to Lebanon and Syria in 1994 with Carmen Callil, for printing an anthology, 19p, undated.
4. Copy of extract from water-stained diary together with ‘typed extracts from a personal diary kept by David Malouf from October to December 1976', with relevance to the material in the subseries for An Imaginery Life.

Typescript draft of An Imaginary Life, 35 leaves (some leaves are double sided) with handwritten emendations in blue biro and pencil. Includes two drafts of the prologue. At the end of sections are handwritten numbers, possibly counting the number of words. On the final page is written 'Sydney Nov 1st 1976-Jan 7th 1977'. Accompanied by one handwritten note with ten sections and corresponding word numbers. Signed 'DM 8.3.86'.

'You can’t think of everything'. Opera in one act, after Alfred de Musset. Typescript with amendations, 9 leaves, [David Malouf’s 2017 note: Chamber opera libretto for Diana Blom. Ca. 1977. Music unwritten]

Nine letters, 2 telegrams and 1 envelope from George Braziller Inc., New York covering the period August 11, 1977 to February 1978. All letters with letterhead. From August 11 to November 9, 1977 letters are written by Julia Strand. From November 29, 1977 to February 21, 1978, letters are written by Barbara Barre. Included with these are two telegrams. Topics include: doubts about title, negotiations on world rights, publishing, biographical details for blurb, suggested changes, questions from copy editor, decision on title, sending galleys, discussion on book jacket.

Correspondence from Chatto & Windus / Carmen Callil – 60 letters (1978 to 1991)
[File 1]: 1978 to 1991.
Letters from editors at Chatto & Windus.
1978 to 1982: Norah Smallwood and D J Enright (6)
1982 to 1991: Carmen Callil.
A few letters by others at Chatto & Windus, including Andrew Motion

Correspondence from Jeffrey Smart – 26 letters (undated, 1978 to 2012)
[File 1]: 1978 to 1991; 1999; 2012. In a letter of 13 Sep 1980 Smart writes: ‘Dear David, It’s midnight. I’ve come down to the studio to look again at your portrait […] it is, I feel sure, the best picture I have ever painted.’

The Prowler, a short story, was first published in 1982 with the novella Child's Play and short story Eustace. Further editions were published in 1983 and 1999, and The Prowler was included in Malouf’s The Complete Stories published in 2007. There are three drafts in this subseries. Possibly the first draft is: typescript, on 25 x 20.5 cm paper, 11 leaves, extensive handwritten emendations in biro, unnumbered pages, incomplete, and undated. Second draft: typescript, on 23.5 x 14.5 cm, extensive handwritten emendations in biro, unnumbered pages, last page has word count and note '2nd draft Sept 12-13-14 '79). Draft typescript: 34 leaves, first leaf has handwritten title 'The Prowler', handwritten emendations, 29.5 x 22 cm, and undated.

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

Photocopy of a published music score for ‘Dr Leichardt’s March’, composed by S.H. Marsh, used at the end of Act I of Voss

Photocopy of music score for Act 1 of Voss, inscribed by Richard Meale to David Malouf: "To David, with affection, gratitude and admiration, Richard. 20-0-84".