This page offers a guide to highlights of the correspondence in Edinburgh University Library's Helen Cruickshank Papers (Coll-81). Further correspondence is listed in Helen Cruickshank Materials in Other EUL Collections, including letters from Cruickshank to Maurice Lindsay, Hugh MacDiarmid, and Tom Scott. Correspondence with Scottish Writers HTML The Cruickshank Papers include letters from the following writers: Marion Angus Letter, 1 May 1930 (Gen 2122/7) George Blake Letter, 15 April 1935, about Lewis Grassic Gibbon Memorial Fund (Gen 2122/7) George Mackay Brown 2 letters, 29 December 1965 and 21 January 1966 (Gen 1779) Letter, 10 Oct. 1969, giving Cruickshank permission to quote from Brown's An Orkney Tapestry in her autobiography (Gen 1929/3/2) George Bruce Letter, 30 January 1973 (Gen 1966/67) James Allan Ford Letter, 17 May 1968, in praise of The Ponnage Pool (Gen. 1929/27/1) Robert Garioch 3 letters, 29 October 1968 (Gen 1966/32), 7 November and 15 November 1971 (Gen 1966/68/i-ii) Lewis Grassic Gibbon Copies of 16 letters from Grassic Gibbon, 1932-34 (Gen 1929/12*/37-52) 20 letters from Ray Mitchell (Grassic Gibbon's widow), 1944-70 (Gen 1929/13) 6 letters from Ray Mitchell, 1954-73 (Gen 1966/19-24) Letter from Rhea Mitchell (Grassic Gibbon's daughter), 13 December 1968 (Gen 2122/7) Duncan Glen 5 letters and 1 card, 1966-67 (Gen 1929/20/1-5) Letter, 7 May 1968, thanking Cruickshank for a presentation copy of The Ponnage Pool (Gen 1929/27/2) 2 letters, 14 August and 12 December 1969 (Gen 1929/2/8-9) 3 letters, 1970-71 (Gen 1966/7-9) Giles Gordon Letter, 12 August 1970 (Gen 1929/2/10-11) Sir Alexander Gray Letter, 6 December 1954 (Gen 1929/38) Neil M. Gunn Letter, 9 September 1968, thanking Cruickshank for a presentation copy of The Ponnage Pool (Gen 1929/27/3) Letter, 24 October 1971 (Gen 1966/13) Hamish Henderson Letter, 5 November 1969 (Gen 1929/2/12) Maurice Lindsay 5 letters, 1966-68 (Gen 1929/17) 2 letters, 26 January and 17 February 1970 (Gen 1966/15-16) Norman MacCaig Letter, 27 November 1961, signed by MacCaig, Sydney Goodsir Smith, and Robin Richardson, inviting Cruickshank to subscribe to a portrait of Hugh MacDiarmid by R. H. Westwater (Gen 886/132) Letter, 17 January 1969 (in JA 3810) Fionn MacColla Letter, 8 October 1969 (Gen 1929/3/7) Hugh MacDiarmid 43 letters and 4 postcards from MacDiarmid, 1922-64 (with letters from Peggy and Valda Grieve) (Gen 886) Copy of letter from MacDiarmid, 20 May 1954 (Gen 1929/20/7) 17 letters and 1 Christmas card from MacDiarmid, 1954-72 (Gen 1929/21) Postcard, [12 May 1935?], and letter, 6 October 1972, from MacDiarmid, with 2 letters from Valda Grieve (Gen 1929/39/1-2) 2 letters from MacDiarmid, 23 August 1972 and 14 August 1974 (Gen 1966/10-11) 5 letters from Cruickshank to Valda Grieve, 1964-69 and 2 letters and 2 cards from Valda Grieve to Cruickshank, 1954-68 (Gen 1929/22) 1 letter from Valda Grieve, [1972] (Gen 1966/12) Compton Mackenzie 2 letters, 8 February 1971 and 7 February 1972, thanking Cruickshank for remembering his birthday (Gen 1966/63-64) A. D. Mackie Letter, 2 June 1968, thanking Cruickshank for a presentation copy of The Ponnage Pool (Gen 1929/27/4) Moray McLaren Letter, n.d., with typescript of article 'The Younger Scottish Writers' (Gen 1929/32) F. Marian McNeill Letter, 10 July 1968, thanking Cruickshank for a presentation copy of The Ponnage Pool (Gen 1929/27/5) 2 letters, 30 October 1968, 10 December 1969 (Gen 1966/17-18) Letter, 14 November 1971 on Cruickshank's Collected Poems (Gen 1966/69) Naomi Mitchison Letter from Mitchison, 11 July 1934, praising Cruickshank's Up the Noran Water and Other Poems (Gen 1929/43) William Montgomerie Letter, 12 December 1969, giving permission to quote from his elegy on William Soutar in Cruickshank's autobiography (Gen 1929/3/11) Tom Scott Letter, 14 November 1971, on Cruickshank's Collected Poems (Gen 1966/68-70) Nan Shepherd 3 letters, 1954-71 (Gen 1966/25-27) 15 letters, 1960-72 (Gen 1929/18) Letter, 17 December 1968 (Gen 2122/7) Sydney Goodsir Smith Letter, 27 November 1961, signed by Smith, Norman MacCaig, and Robin Richardson, inviting Cruickshank to subscribe to a portrait of Hugh MacDiarmid by R. H. Westwater (Gen 886/132) Christmas card, undated (Gen 1966/31) William Soutar Postcard, 13 March 1935, about Lewis Grass Gibbon’s funeral (Gen 1929/11) Letter, 9 September 1935, about MacDiarmid’s stay in hospital in Perth (Gen 886/35) Lewis Spence 2 letters, 27 November and 5 December 1954 (Gen 1929/44) Douglas Young 6 letters, 1946-68 (Gen 1929/16) 2 letters, 15 July 1961 (Gen 1929/46), 17 January 1966 (Gen 1929/12*/17-18) and 12 April 1966 (Gen 1966/35) Other Correspondence Other correspondents include the sculptor Vincent Butler (Gen 1966/1-2), John Carswell, son of Catherine Carswell (Gen 1929/19, Gen 1929/64/4, Gen 1966/3-6), bookseller K. D. Duval (Gen 1966/72-77), Laurence and John Graham, editors of the New Shetlander (Gen 1929/15), writer Neil McCallum (Gen 1929/12*), critic Geoffrey Wagner (Gen 1929/12*), Ian S. Munro, biographer of Lewis Grassic Gibbon and editor of a BBC Radio programme marking Cruickshank's eightieth birthday (Gen 1929/14), composer Francis G. Scott (Gen. 886/23), and the American poet Louis Simpson (Gen 1966/28). There is a letter dated 11 February 1947 from actor John Laurie of Dad's Army fame expressing his pleasure on reading Cruickshank's verse for BBC Radio (Gen 1929/31*/1). There is extensive correspondence concerning the publication of Cruickshank's volumes The Ponnage Pool (Gen 1929/27/1), Sea Buckthorn (Gen 1929/50), Up the Noran Water and Other Scots Poems (Gen 1929/59 and Gen 1966/39), Collected Poems, More Collected Poems (both Gen 2122/4), and Octobiography (Gen 1929/2-3 and Gen 1967/1-14). Finally, there are letters relating to Cruickshank's management of the Lewis Grassic Gibbon Memorial Fund, 1935-1950 (Gen 1929/12). Further Details For a fuller listing of correspondence, see the Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue and the manual Index to Manuscripts held in the Centre for Research Collections, Edinburgh University Library. Related Links Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue This article was published on 2024-08-21
HTML The Cruickshank Papers include letters from the following writers: Marion Angus Letter, 1 May 1930 (Gen 2122/7) George Blake Letter, 15 April 1935, about Lewis Grassic Gibbon Memorial Fund (Gen 2122/7) George Mackay Brown 2 letters, 29 December 1965 and 21 January 1966 (Gen 1779) Letter, 10 Oct. 1969, giving Cruickshank permission to quote from Brown's An Orkney Tapestry in her autobiography (Gen 1929/3/2) George Bruce Letter, 30 January 1973 (Gen 1966/67) James Allan Ford Letter, 17 May 1968, in praise of The Ponnage Pool (Gen. 1929/27/1) Robert Garioch 3 letters, 29 October 1968 (Gen 1966/32), 7 November and 15 November 1971 (Gen 1966/68/i-ii) Lewis Grassic Gibbon Copies of 16 letters from Grassic Gibbon, 1932-34 (Gen 1929/12*/37-52) 20 letters from Ray Mitchell (Grassic Gibbon's widow), 1944-70 (Gen 1929/13) 6 letters from Ray Mitchell, 1954-73 (Gen 1966/19-24) Letter from Rhea Mitchell (Grassic Gibbon's daughter), 13 December 1968 (Gen 2122/7) Duncan Glen 5 letters and 1 card, 1966-67 (Gen 1929/20/1-5) Letter, 7 May 1968, thanking Cruickshank for a presentation copy of The Ponnage Pool (Gen 1929/27/2) 2 letters, 14 August and 12 December 1969 (Gen 1929/2/8-9) 3 letters, 1970-71 (Gen 1966/7-9) Giles Gordon Letter, 12 August 1970 (Gen 1929/2/10-11) Sir Alexander Gray Letter, 6 December 1954 (Gen 1929/38) Neil M. Gunn Letter, 9 September 1968, thanking Cruickshank for a presentation copy of The Ponnage Pool (Gen 1929/27/3) Letter, 24 October 1971 (Gen 1966/13) Hamish Henderson Letter, 5 November 1969 (Gen 1929/2/12) Maurice Lindsay 5 letters, 1966-68 (Gen 1929/17) 2 letters, 26 January and 17 February 1970 (Gen 1966/15-16) Norman MacCaig Letter, 27 November 1961, signed by MacCaig, Sydney Goodsir Smith, and Robin Richardson, inviting Cruickshank to subscribe to a portrait of Hugh MacDiarmid by R. H. Westwater (Gen 886/132) Letter, 17 January 1969 (in JA 3810) Fionn MacColla Letter, 8 October 1969 (Gen 1929/3/7) Hugh MacDiarmid 43 letters and 4 postcards from MacDiarmid, 1922-64 (with letters from Peggy and Valda Grieve) (Gen 886) Copy of letter from MacDiarmid, 20 May 1954 (Gen 1929/20/7) 17 letters and 1 Christmas card from MacDiarmid, 1954-72 (Gen 1929/21) Postcard, [12 May 1935?], and letter, 6 October 1972, from MacDiarmid, with 2 letters from Valda Grieve (Gen 1929/39/1-2) 2 letters from MacDiarmid, 23 August 1972 and 14 August 1974 (Gen 1966/10-11) 5 letters from Cruickshank to Valda Grieve, 1964-69 and 2 letters and 2 cards from Valda Grieve to Cruickshank, 1954-68 (Gen 1929/22) 1 letter from Valda Grieve, [1972] (Gen 1966/12) Compton Mackenzie 2 letters, 8 February 1971 and 7 February 1972, thanking Cruickshank for remembering his birthday (Gen 1966/63-64) A. D. Mackie Letter, 2 June 1968, thanking Cruickshank for a presentation copy of The Ponnage Pool (Gen 1929/27/4) Moray McLaren Letter, n.d., with typescript of article 'The Younger Scottish Writers' (Gen 1929/32) F. Marian McNeill Letter, 10 July 1968, thanking Cruickshank for a presentation copy of The Ponnage Pool (Gen 1929/27/5) 2 letters, 30 October 1968, 10 December 1969 (Gen 1966/17-18) Letter, 14 November 1971 on Cruickshank's Collected Poems (Gen 1966/69) Naomi Mitchison Letter from Mitchison, 11 July 1934, praising Cruickshank's Up the Noran Water and Other Poems (Gen 1929/43) William Montgomerie Letter, 12 December 1969, giving permission to quote from his elegy on William Soutar in Cruickshank's autobiography (Gen 1929/3/11) Tom Scott Letter, 14 November 1971, on Cruickshank's Collected Poems (Gen 1966/68-70) Nan Shepherd 3 letters, 1954-71 (Gen 1966/25-27) 15 letters, 1960-72 (Gen 1929/18) Letter, 17 December 1968 (Gen 2122/7) Sydney Goodsir Smith Letter, 27 November 1961, signed by Smith, Norman MacCaig, and Robin Richardson, inviting Cruickshank to subscribe to a portrait of Hugh MacDiarmid by R. H. Westwater (Gen 886/132) Christmas card, undated (Gen 1966/31) William Soutar Postcard, 13 March 1935, about Lewis Grass Gibbon’s funeral (Gen 1929/11) Letter, 9 September 1935, about MacDiarmid’s stay in hospital in Perth (Gen 886/35) Lewis Spence 2 letters, 27 November and 5 December 1954 (Gen 1929/44) Douglas Young 6 letters, 1946-68 (Gen 1929/16) 2 letters, 15 July 1961 (Gen 1929/46), 17 January 1966 (Gen 1929/12*/17-18) and 12 April 1966 (Gen 1966/35) Other Correspondence Other correspondents include the sculptor Vincent Butler (Gen 1966/1-2), John Carswell, son of Catherine Carswell (Gen 1929/19, Gen 1929/64/4, Gen 1966/3-6), bookseller K. D. Duval (Gen 1966/72-77), Laurence and John Graham, editors of the New Shetlander (Gen 1929/15), writer Neil McCallum (Gen 1929/12*), critic Geoffrey Wagner (Gen 1929/12*), Ian S. Munro, biographer of Lewis Grassic Gibbon and editor of a BBC Radio programme marking Cruickshank's eightieth birthday (Gen 1929/14), composer Francis G. Scott (Gen. 886/23), and the American poet Louis Simpson (Gen 1966/28). There is a letter dated 11 February 1947 from actor John Laurie of Dad's Army fame expressing his pleasure on reading Cruickshank's verse for BBC Radio (Gen 1929/31*/1). There is extensive correspondence concerning the publication of Cruickshank's volumes The Ponnage Pool (Gen 1929/27/1), Sea Buckthorn (Gen 1929/50), Up the Noran Water and Other Scots Poems (Gen 1929/59 and Gen 1966/39), Collected Poems, More Collected Poems (both Gen 2122/4), and Octobiography (Gen 1929/2-3 and Gen 1967/1-14). Finally, there are letters relating to Cruickshank's management of the Lewis Grassic Gibbon Memorial Fund, 1935-1950 (Gen 1929/12).
