Initially called 'Life and death in the south side pavilion', 'Dancing on the water' is an unpublished screenplay written by Peter Carey and Ray Lawrence. It is based on the short story Life and death in the south side pavilion by Peter Carey first published in short story collection, The fat man in history (1974). Comprises 8 typescript drafts.

Comprises notes and typescript drafts, with emendations, for 'Illusion (A comic strip musical)', which was changed to 'Illusion (A treatment for a performance)'. Mike Mullins conceived of the concept in early 1980, and he and Carey worked on the script. Eventually Carey withdrew his name as author and retained only credit for co-writing the lyrics. Illusion, was performed as a rock musical at the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 1986. One draft has the (crossed out) title 'Getchor Illusion' for the Playwrights Conference in Canberra dated 2 May 1984.

From the story outline, 'The Trial : A new comedy by Franz Kafka' written by Peter Carey, was to "concentrate on the hitherto undiscovered comic nature" of this work by KafKa. Consists of story outlines and typescript drafts with emendations.

Typescript notes, with emendations, for an idea for a film titled 'Daddy's girl'.

Screenplay by Peter Carey and Wim Wenders. After an original story by Wim Wenders and Solveig Dommartin,1990. Movie directed by Wim Wenders. Released by Argos Films, Road Movies and Village Roadshow Pictures, 1991.

Correspondence from 1980 to 1982.

Publicity material, letters from readers, critics, friends, publishers, literary agents, former school teachers, politicians, literary organizations, fellow writers, professional colleagues and general readers, mostly regarding the Booker Prize for Oscar & Lucinda.

Illywhacker was published in 1985 in Australia by University of Queensland Press. It has won a number of awards and was short-listed for the Booker Prize. This series includes typescript drafts for 'Pets' (Illywhacker) and Illywhacker, showing substantial revisions at every stage and the development of the novel from earliest ideas to finished form. Correspondence, notes, research material and index cards are included. Illywhacker has won the Age Book of the Year Award 1985, Fellowship of Australian Writers Victor - Barbara Ramsden Award 1985, National Book Council Award for Australian Literature - Banjo Award 1985, Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction 1986 and Ditmar Awards 1986.

Bound draft typescript and loose leaf typescript of the unpublished novel 'The futility machine'.

Two drafts for the unpublished novel 'Stars here, ends here'. The dates were taken from the original wrapper (discarded).