News and Events

Launch of the Siegfried Sassoon Collection

The First World War Poetry Archive is pleased to announce that the Siegfried Sassoon collection is now live at: http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/sassoon This draws from collections at Oxford, Cambridge, New York Public Library, and the Harry Ransom Center. The primary focus is on manuscript variants of Sassoon's 'war poetry' contained in the collections 'The Old Huntsman', 'Counter-Attack', and 'Picture Show'. You are free to use the images for educational purposes, see http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/permitteduse.html In effect this represents the last collection that will be going live, as part of the project. The funding for this two-year initiative came from the Joint Information Systems Committee as part of their Digitisation Programme.

War Poets Exhibition in Second Life

This immersive experience attempts to demonstrate how effective it can be to expose items from a research project (the JISC-funded First World War Poetry Digital Archive) in their context. In the three-dimensional virtual world Second Life you can see items from the collection, hear interviews with veterans, and watch contemporary film footage as you explore the area - a training camp, communication trench, a dressing-station, a front-line trench - as well as listen to readings of the poetry. http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/secondlife

Launch of the Edmund Blunden Collection

The First World War Poetry Digital Archive is pleased to announce the launch of the 'Edmund Blunden Collection'. The collection contains previously unseen material assembled from archives in the UK and the US, including his family's private collection. Items include previously unpublished poems and letters sent home to his family while he was on active service, manuscript variants of extracts from 'Undertones of War', diaries, and a selection from the poet's personal minute book. http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/blunden

Launch of the Ivor Gurney Collection

The First World War Poetry Digital Archive launches over 1300 images relating to the poet and composer Ivor Gurney. The First World War Poetry Archive is thrilled to announce the launch of its 8th Poet - Ivor Gurney.

http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/gurney

The Ivor Gurney Collection consists of c. 1300 images of poetry manuscripts, letters and photographs held at the Gloucestershire Archives. Never before accessible by the general public this collection tells the story of a poet and musician who survived the War and continually referred back to it in his writing.

The manuscripts largely relate to two volumes of poetry; 'Severn and Somme' published in 1917, and War's Embers in 1919. Supplemented by drafts of later poems, the collection shows the lasting effect the War had on Gurney up until his death in 1937.

Digital collections relating to Edmund Blunden and Siegfried Sassoon will be launched later this year.

Launch of the Ivor Gurney Collection

The First World War Poetry Digital Archive launches over 1300 images relating to the poet and composer Ivor Gurney. The First World War Poetry Archive is thrilled to announce the launch of its 8th Poet - Ivor Gurney.

http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/gurney

The Ivor Gurney Collection consists of c. 1300 images of poetry manuscripts, letters and photographs held at the Gloucestershire Archives. Never before accessible by the general public this collection tells the story of a poet and musician who survived the War and continually referred back to it in his writing.

The manuscripts largely relate to two volumes of poetry; 'Severn and Somme' published in 1917, and War's Embers in 1919. Supplemented by drafts of later poems, the collection shows the lasting effect the War had on Gurney up until his death in 1937.

Digital collections relating to Edmund Blunden and Siegfried Sassoon will be launched later this year.

New Oxford Student Text: Wilfred Owen Selected Poems and Letters

This selection of Owen's poetry and letters from Oxford University Press gives a comprehensive view of his experiences in, and opinions about, the First World War. Offering a wealth of supporting materials, such as notes, tasks, interpretations and contextual material, this is an accessible approach to the work of this Great War poet. Available to order from OUP at: http://www.oup.com/uk/catalogue/?view=oxed&ci=9780198328780

Launch of the David Jones Collection

The First World War Poetry Archive is thrilled to release over 500 images relating to the modernist poet David Jones. The collection focus' primarily on Part VII of Jones' epic masterpiece In Parenthesis, and includes manuscripts of early drafts, notes, and broadcast scripts. The collection, never before seen online, provides a remarkable insight into a man who continually rewrote his experience of the trenches.

Archive's collections discoverable through WorldCat

The First World War Poetry Digital Archive is pleased to announce that all items (with the exception of the Great War Archive Collection) are now discoverable through the WorldCat service (http://www.worldcat.org/). WorldCat is a global library network designed to enhance Web-based discovery of library resources. By adding The First World War Poetry Digital Archive to this service we can guarantee increased visibility the archive's content.

Reviews in History: The First World War Poetry Digital Archive and The Great War Archive

The Institute of Historical Research has published a review of The First World War Poetry Digital Archive and The Great War Archive in its publication 'Reviews in History'. The review sums up the archive by stating that "this is one of the most comprehensive (if not the most comprehensive) archival sites on the web. It is also one of the best attempts to navigate the museum/archive/website divide that I have seen". To read the full review and a response by the project director Dr Stuart Lee visit http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/paper/maccallumstewarte.html.