The archive includes the papers, correspondence, diaries and manuscripts, recordings, research material and publications of Professor Eric Mottram and spans the period 1928-1995. Covering his own creative work and academic publications, it also reflects his wide-ranging cultural investigations in the field of twentieth century American and English literature, film, music, art, theatre and popular and material culture. A major series of files about named authors and poets covers figures as diverse as Robert Creeley, Robert Duncan, Allen Ginsberg, Michael McClure, Charles Olson, Ezra Pound, Jerome Rothenberg, Muriel Rukeyser, William Burroughs, Basil Bunting, Bob Cobbing, Roy Fisher, Bill Griffiths and Tom Raworth. Also of particular importance are a series of original tape recordings, mainly made by Mottram, of poets reading their work. Linked to this material is a rich series of little press publications and little magazines. The two chief aspects of Mottram's own work are reflected in his artist notebooks and essays. The former run from 1979-1988 and contain draft poems, notes on a whole range of research topics, with inserts of postcards, press-cuttings, photographs, cartoons, artworks and postage stamps to create a rich wallet of collage effects. The essay series, including published and unpublished material and supporting notes, reflects his wide-ranging contribution over nearly half a century to the teaching of American and English literature. Major groupings within the archive are as follows: personal papers including appointment diaries, 1951-1995, and correspondence with Ted and Joan Wilentz, 1963-1994; papers reflecting Mottram's own poetry including notebooks, and manuscripts, 1956-1995; papers reflecting his publications including reviews and collaborations, 1952-1988; editorial papers notably for The Poetry Review; correspondence with and/or papers relating to twentieth century creative writers, 1928-1998; little press publications, 1954-1998;little magazines, 1942-1998; papers relating to academic teaching, research and administration, [1952]-1994; Mottram's essay texts and associated material, 1947-1995; promotional material for literary events and from publishers, 1945-1958; artworks and posters, 1953-1994; photographs by Mottram, 1950-1995; and recorded material notably including original recordings of poets from both sides of the Atlantic reading their material, 1950-1998.

Manuscripts collected by William Marsden, including letters and other material, 1627-1668, relating to Portuguese Catholic missionaries in India, some from Ajmir and Agra, and Tibet; texts, grammars and vocabularies, [17th-18th centuries], including Welsh; Icelandic; Kannada; Tamil fragments, some on palmyra leaves; Javanese text; Tagalog fragments; 'Bocabulario Tagalo', [c1580]; 'Vocabulario de la lengua Iloca'; manuscript letter from C T de Murr to William Marsden, 24 Feb 1797, regarding the Bibliotheca glottica universalis, with accompanying typescript transcription; Ionian (Greek) newspaper concerning King George III, 1805.

Two items, martyrology of Portuguese missionaries in India and other parts of Asia, [17th century]; and manuscript entitled 'Principio do dereito q. tem el Rey de Portugal da Ilha de Goa...1595', bound with 'Livro tresladado dos contos de Goa de todos os ordenados q. Sua Magestade da na India...', both 1658, also with cipher used presumably by the Jesuits, 'Cifra da Compa. q. devem ter todos os superiores...'; were transferred to the <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/archivespec/special-collections/access.aspx">Foyle Special Collections Library </a> at King’s College London in 2018.