This page collects together some writings by D. K. Broster which are either unpublished, unpublished in the particular version given here or not otherwise currently accessible. These are from papers held in the Archive of St Hilda’s College, Oxford, and are reproduced here by kind permission of the Principal and Fellows of St Hilda’s. The papers are generally typescripts with added handwritten corrections and emendations; I’ve done my best to integrate the added bits and represent Broster’s final intentions, but have occasionally omitted one where I was defeated by her handwriting. I’ve added notes indicating where these changes involve substantial differences in wording; minor typographical and punctuation errors I have silently corrected.
Four untitled typescripts. The first of these is Broster’s contribution to the long-running debate on how convincingly authors can write about characters of a different gender from themselves; the second is an account of the inspiration, composition, publication and reception of The Flight of the Heron; the third is a more general biographical account of Broster’s life and writing career; and the fourth is a fragment which is also partly biographical and includes further literary opinions.
Christmas Day in a Little Hospital. A description of Christmas Day on a children’s hospital ward. It’s a slight puzzle whether this one should go in the non-fiction or fiction section; I’ve put it here because it’s more descriptive than narrative, but I don’t know whether or how far the people and events described are real.
The House of Secrets. A descriptive piece about Ballachulish House in Appin in the Highlands, including some ghost stories and Broster’s thoughts about both the historical and fictional incarnations of Al(l)an Breck Stewart.
Northern Spring. A short account of spring in Highland Perthshire.
Charon’s Coward. A short story in Broster’s favourite French Revolutionary setting, starring Fortuné de la Vireville from the novel Sir Isumbras at the Ford.
The Swiss Ambassador and Mme de Vérans’ Fan. An unfinished short story featuring honour, insults and the vexed question of duelling.