We’re thrilled to share an exclusive blog post from the winner of the 2024 Walter Greenwood Essay Prize! The Library reinstated the prize in 2023. It recognises and rewards students on the MA English programme who have used the University’s literary archive collections.
Elizabeth Campbell
In this post, this year’s winner, Elizabeth Campbell, delves into how she was inspired by the original source material found in the Archives for her essay, ‘Three Forms in the Thirties: Authority, Authorship and Authenticity in Walter Greenwood’s Love on the Dole‘. This post is a must read if you want to learn more about the value of our archives and what they can bring to your studies.
A visit to the archives
Archival research is something that has always interested me, but I have never had an opportunity to take part in until recently. During our class visit to the archives, we managed to encounter a plethora of archival material that allowed us to indulge in Greenwood’s personal life and spark a discussion. Not only did the archival material give us an insight into Greenwood’s life, but it also painted a nostalgic picture of Salford in the 1930s.
From polished photographs to newspaper reviews and even old theatre programmes from the 1930s; it was evident from a collection of mostly positive work that Walter Greenwood had intended to leave a sanitised version of himself behind in his collection. This was quite jarring, and from this, I began to question how authentic Greenwood was as a person. I wanted to explore how Greenwood’s authentic self and more specifically, the portrayal of authority in his work had been adapted from the novel, play and film version of Love on the Dole.
During my personal visit to the archives, I began to rummage through newspaper reviews from the 1930s and handwritten scripts of Greenwood’s that were still full of the scribbles and crosses. The collection is so broad and diverse which makes it possible to find an individual idea, something that has not been done before.
Researching online
The digitised archival material was also helpful when I started to write my essay as I could easily refer back and potentially come across something I had missed from my in-person session. The archival material I focused on ended up not only evidencing my work but became the starting point of my entire argument around Greenwood’s work. This opportunity has definitely sparked an interest in archival research, a skill I will put to good use throughout the rest of my studies.
Further interest
Find out more about the life of Walter Greenwood.
The Greenwood Essay Prize is issued by The Library. To access the physical Walter Greenwood Archive or find out more contact library-archives@salford.ac.uk.
The Library’s Archives and Special Collections hold a host of fascinating resources. Take a look! You never know where your next academic inspiration might come from…
