Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
User Collection Public
The collection consists of a complete autograph diary detailing four years in the lives of Robert Graves and Laura Riding. The period covered is from 22nd February 1935 to 6th May 1939, during which time Graves and Riding lived in Mallorca, Lugano, England, Brittany and Pennsylvania. The 1,546 page diary also contains 117 enclosures of letters from Graves' children, photographs, and press cuttings, as well as 99 other miscellaneous items such as typescripts of poems, articles and letters.
This important diary represents a highly detailed record of four years in the lives of both Robert Graves and Laura Riding, from whom he was seldom separated for more than a few hours throughout the period that it covers. As well as giving full accounts of domestic events - building projects, gardening, jam-making, shopping expeditions, visits from friends and the like - Graves notes precisely the work that he and Laura Riding have accomplished each day, both separately and in collaboration. All their working projects are minutely documented.
Please also see the Robert Graves Diary project website.
Image: Accession Number: 2002-030, Box 5, Folder 6, Lot Gr-24, Item: Gr-77
Permalink: http://vault.library.uvic.ca/collections/cd1721f5-933f-421f-866f-317957fef51d
Collection Details
- Items 1731
- Last Updated 2025-02-21
Parent Collections (1)
Works (1731)
921. July 19 Monday
- Title:
- July 19 Monday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985 and Authors, English
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1937-07-19
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-883
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1937-07-19.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- July 19 Monday Anniversary of Rebellion and a dull, sweaty awful day. Face swollen. Not much pain, as such; but feeling lacerated. Letter from E. Altounyan from Aleppo wanting to correspond about Poetry. Replied. Laura working on Letter Book . I made a start of Chapter 8 of Ghost , and (11 pages) wrote several letters, made up a/cs. Sent Claudius film version to Random House. Dressed for supper. Thunderstorm. 66 reintroduced. Rebel counterattack at Brunete fails. Karl making a mask of home-mashed papier-maché, painted. War starting in China.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
922. July 20 Tuesday
- Title:
- July 20 Tuesday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1937-07-20
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-884
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1937-07-20.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- July 20 Tuesday Face still swollen: a good deal of pain. Two drafts of a poem called ' Cataphracts ' Sunny day. Read Procopius , another fairly final draft of Cataphracts . In bed, except to supper.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
923. July 21 Wednesday
- Title:
- July 21 Wednesday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985 and Authors, English
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1937-07-21
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-885
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1937-07-21.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- July 21 Wednesday Pain still: taking a sort of aspirin called Veg Anodin or something. Reading Procopius . To Dentist who alleviated somewhat but I am to expect pain for a day or two yet until the root of the tooth eases out. Back by bus. Harry now practically always wins at marbles: I have no patience (or perhaps toothache). Cataphracts now in order and have discarded A Wounded Man . Slight alterations to other poems. Rewrote ' The Stake '. Laura finishing preface to Letter Book . Peroxide treatment of tooth.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
924. July 22nd Thursday
- Title:
- July 22nd Thursday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985 and Authors, English
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1937-07-22
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-886
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection and Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1937-07-22.html
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- July 22nd Thursday Swelling nearly gone: pain still. * Began writing Belisarius , 6 pages. Nothing else much all day; letters, toothache, marbles in which I worked out a new technique. Peroxide mouth washes. The mask dressed up in an old dress of Laura's is a witch hanging on the wall in the dining room.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
925. July 23rd Friday
- Title:
- July 23rd Friday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985 and Authors, English
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1937-07-23
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-887
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1937-07-23.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- July 23rd Friday Dentist again. Less pain. Root of tooth mounting in socket. Iodine applications. Spent most of day in bed, writing (& reading for) 17 pages of Belisarius . All sorts of preparations going forward for my birthday.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
926. July 24th Saturday . My 42nd Birthday.
- Title:
- July 24th Saturday . My 42nd Birthday.
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1937-07-24
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-888
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection and Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1937-07-24.html
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- July 24th Saturday . My 42nd Birthday. Laura gave me a small Georgian wooden tea-tray & a Stuart table-knife & fork, ivory & inlaid silver handles. Alix & Harry an old Enlgish bow & a quiver of arrows. Karl & Alan a bottle of Kümmel . Margaret Russell send sent birthday cards; a minituare miniature desk book-case, with drawing pins, paper clips etc. Honor a greeting telegram. James & Mary brought me sherry. Everyone working hard, cutting sandwiches etc: I met two buses for Mary Lucy (first time of meeting) but she came on the third. Balloons, fireworks, the drawing-room fireplace disguised with greenery. Arguments on how not to string a bow. I finished Chapter 1 of Belisarius & began going over it: retiring temporarily to bed with toothache. A game playing in a pegged-out maze in the garden of redisposing 18 lines of Lady of Shallot from single lines on cards. Talk & games until 1.30 when L & I tidied up. Comic academic disputations between James & Alan on the immorality of a man on a desert island. Serious discussion of the Permanance theory as opposed to Buchmannite change & on the condition of poets when not writing poems.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
927. July 25 Sunday
- Title:
- July 25 Sunday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1937-07-25
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-889
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection and Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1937-07-25.html
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- July 25 Sunday Everyone exhausted by yesterday & no Alice: got up & got 4 breakfasts. Then with Alix cooked lunch for 7 – Alix, Harry, Mary Lucy, James, Mary, Laura, me. Rested in early afternoon & finished going over Belisarius . Ros came with her three boys & Jim & a German nurse & a Baronin Elfrida von something in Wartemburg. Sticky & Roz talked nonsense in a conversationaly polite way. Her eldest boy sneaked a golf-ball. Retired to bed with toothache after supper & goodbye to James & Mary. Laura talking with M.L. most of the day. I gave Alan instructions as to what to look up for Chapter 2 of Belisarius . Biggest battle of War : at Brunete, which has been retaken by Franco.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
928. July 26 Monday.
- Title:
- July 26 Monday.
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1937-07-26
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-890
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection and Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1937-07-26.html
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- July 26 Monday. Wrote to Jenny asking her for a statement about herself;& to Nancy about guardianship of children in event of her, my, our deaths. Dentist , who stopped tooth & had expected pain to be diminished: took X-ray. Mary Lucy is a poet: saw some of her poems, obviously she is a poet. A year ago she had had an instinct about Laura: from a chance word about her. Would get to know her. I took 2 Veganins, which removed pain, but made my heart pound. Karl & Harry at Archery.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
929. July 27 Tuesday.
- Title:
- July 27 Tuesday.
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1937-07-27
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-891
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection and Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1937-07-27.html
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- July 27 Tuesday. Went over most of typed chapter 1 of Belisarius : read Procopius. Wrote letters. Talking all morning with Mary Lucy mostly about Peggy & Nan & Ben & such old stories. Ben had left Winifred because she had a 3rd child – one too many – & then had triplets by Barbara. Mary Lucy went. Archery in garden: I got quite to understand the bow.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
930. July 28 Wednesday.
- Title:
- July 28 Wednesday.
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1937-07-28
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-892
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection and Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1937-07-28.html
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- July 28 Wednesday. Wrote 13 pages of Belisarius chapter II. Shot at rabbits with bow & arrow. Went to dentist by bus. He says: it will be some time before the splinter of root works out, but better to stand the pain than spend two days in hospital. Be The pain should gradually subside now. Laura, Alix, Harry went to Dolmetsch concert at Haslemere. Laura doing Letter book . A new very good cook, Mrs Jones, who immediately broken broke 2 of the 4 Wedgewood plates.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.