Comprised of two drafts:

1. 'The Aspern Papers', opera in one act from the story by Henry James, typescript with extensive emendations and cut and paste inserts, 21 leaves, [David Malouf’s 2017 note: First written for the Canadian composer Owen Underhill. Commission fell through. Set by Melbourne composer Eve Duncan. Not yet commissioned for performance].
2. 'The Aspern Papers : a chamber opera. Scene One'. Libretto by David Malouf. Based on a story by Henry James, 82 pages, with letter from Eve Duncan, 6 Aug 2013. Spiral bound.

'Jane or The Bride of Thornfield' (Jane Eyre), typescript, 18 leaves, a few emendations. [David Malouf’s 2017 note: First draft, 1996/8. Performed Cheltenham Festival. Toured London, Canberra, St Louis, USA.]. With associated letter by Malouf to Michael Berkeley. Accompanied by the published libretto, Jane Eyre, from cover 'A libretto by David Malouf for an opera by Michael Berkeley', 27 pages, published by Vintage in 2000.

The Fox and the Magpie. A divertissement for two voices and four instruments. By David Malouf. Music by Kurt Schwertsik, 24 pages, spiral bound.

Typescript draft of Invocation to Earth : An opera, Libretto by David Malouf, Music by Diana Blom. Text of chamber opera, 10 leaves, thermal photocopy (accompanied by preservation photocopy). Based on the poem Under the Wilgas by Mary Gilmore.

'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]

'A Winter’s Tale (The Round of Time). After William Shakespeare'. Three versions of draft for libretto, [ca. 30 leaves each], [David Malouf’s 2017 note: Commissioned by the English National Opera, 1988/9. Michael Berkeley set part of the text (Paulina) in a song-cycle. The commission fell through.] With two associated pieces of correspondence by Malouf and Berkeley

Two publications and 26 published reviews, articles, short stories, speeches and interviews.
Folder 1: The School Window, Brisbane Grammar School, no. 8, Sept 1948. Contains an illustration on page 11 and three stories by David Malouf, Form IV. A. The stories are: Dream Journey, pages 18-19; The Longest Hour, page 26, winner of the first Thomas Thatcher Memorial Prize; Et tu, Brute, page 28.

Malouf, D., & Australian Broadcasting Corporation. (1999). A spirit of play : the making of Australian consciousness, Sydney: ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 128 pages, with many manuscript emendations.

Folder 2:
A group of 26 published reviews, articles, short stories, speeches and interviews, extracted from magazines and newspapers. Includes: What we know – A Meditation on Experience, Knowledge and Memory. An edited version of an address delivered at the Supreme Court of New South Wales Annual Conference on 13 June 1997. Extract from Judicial Officers’ Bulletin. Vol. 9, No. 11. December Pp. 81/82 and 87/88.

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