This collection of David Malouf contains corrected manuscript and typescript drafts of Bicycle and Other Poems, Johnno, An Imaginary Life, Child's Play, Eustace, The Prowler, Fly Away Peter, Harland's Half Acre, Antipodes : Stories, 12 Edmonstone Street, The Great World, Remembering Babylon, The Conversations at Curlow Creek, Every Move You Make, and Ransom.

There are draft typescripts and related documents for Opera Libretti by David Malouf (both published and unpublished): Voss : Opera in Two Acts After the Novel by Patrick White, Invocation to Earth, Remembering Babylon, 'The Aspern Papers', 'You can't think of everything', 'A Winter's Tale', The Fox and the Magpie. In addition there are two versions of 10,000 Miles Away, written by David Malouf for theatre.

This collection has over 1700 letters written to David Malouf from an extensive number of correspondents: Glenda Adams, Luciana Arrighi, Murray Bail, Bruce Beaver, John Bell, Bruce Beresford, Michael Berkeley, John Blight, Michael Brennan, David Brooks, Bille Brown, Felicity Bryan, Carmen Callil, Ian Callinan, Felix Calvino, Nancy Cato, Clem Christesen [writing to Judith Green, later Rodriguez], John Clanchy, Alison Clark, Dymphna Clark, Manning Clark, John Coetzee, Adele Cohen, Matthew Condon, Jim Davidson, Robyn Davidson, Bruce Dawe, Robert Dessaix, Rosemary Dobson, Espie Dods, Eve Duncan, Don Dunstan, Geoffrey Dutton, Nin Dutton, Christopher Edwards, Nick Enright, Michele Field, Helen Garner, Marea Gazzard, Clem Gorman, Lisa Gorton, Kate Grenville, Elizabeth Harrower, Kenneth J Harvey, Dennis Haskell, Ihab Hassan, Shirley Hazzard (Shirley and Francis Steegmuller), Janette Turner Hospital, Brian Howard, Barry Humphries, Ivor Indyk, Elizabeth Jolley, Gail Jones, Nicholas Jose (Nick Jose), Beate Josephi and Andrew Taylor, Nancy Keesing, Thomas Keneally, John Kinsella, Manoly Lascaris, David Leavitt, Gerard Lee, Geoffrey Lehmann, Kathy Lette, Alan Lightman, Stephen McClymont, Mark McKenna, Robert Macklin, Tony Maniaty, David Marr, Mandy Martin, Gillian Mears, Drusilla Modjeska, Frank Moorhouse, Mal Morgan, Les Murray, Philip Neilson, Cees Nooteboom, Mark O’Connor, Carlo Olivieri, Margaret Olley, Michael Ondaatje, Tony Page, Peter Porter, Pixie Pratt [Pixie O’Harris], Judith Rodriguez, David Rowbotham, Ethel Rowbotham, Lilian Roxon, John Ralston Saul, Jaya Savige, Scripsi (Michael Heyward and Peter Craven], Penelope Seidler, Tom Shapcott, Lidija Simkus-Pocius (Lidija Simkute), Ian Sinnamon, Norah Smallwood, Jeffrey Smart, Christina Stead, Lurline Stuart, John Tranter, James Tulip (Jim Tulip), UQP [Frank W Thompson, Roger McDonald, Craig Munro], Christopher Wallace-Crabbe (Chris Wallace-Crabbe), Robin Wallace-Crabbe, Jacki Weaver, Peter Weir, Gough Whitlam, Phyllis Webb, Patrick White, and many others.

Bicycle and Other Poems is Malouf’s first book of poetry, published by UQP in 1970, and later published in the United States as The Year of the Foxes and Other Poems (1979). This subseries contains two folders of poems that appear in the 1970 publication by UQP. Many have handwritten corrections and notes by the author giving the place and date of composition for some poems and where each poem was initially published.

An Imaginary Life is a novel dealing with the last years of the Roman poet Ovid in exile and his strange relationship with a wolf-child. It was first published in 1978. Originally the title was 'Letters from Pontus'. Includes letters from George Braziller Inc., New York relating to the publication of this novel, typescript drafts of the novel, editorial markup by literary argent Curtis Brown of the final draft, and changes for final draft.

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.

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'.

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 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.”

One leaf, handwritten in blue ink, with notes by the author on the draft that accompanies it. Rewritten first draft of 'Birds' story, 21 numbered pages. According to the accompanying note: "Rewritten in Brisbane between March and early May 1981….contains the new material to be added, a second draft of the latter half of the book and notes made for background from a history of the 41st Battalion, Queensland".

One handwritten note by author: 'Original typescript for afterword (unused). Later rewritten for programme note for the ballet, then for a piece on North Queensland in the Griffith Review.’ Accompanied by the draft, which has handwritten emendations in pen and pencil, thirteen leaves are original typescript, 7 leaves are photocopies, all 20 leaves hand numbered from 124 to 139.

One Upim notebook of 200 pages with handwritten draft of Harland's Half Acre, handwritten in red and blue ink.