The Norman Shrapnel Collection: journalist, author and observer
By Sophia Louise Lee
Norman Shrapnel — biography
Norman Shrapnel (1912–2004) was a political and cultural journalist, an author and nature-lover. He worked and reported for The Manchester Guardian (and later The Guardian), The BBC and various other magazines, journals, and newspapers in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Shrapnel kept diaries, meticulously sorted into dates and subjects from 1949–1974. These diaries feature his reflections and observations on political matters from sitting in on Parliament, but also include drawings of hiking routes and quite poetic descriptions of the weather and seasonal flowers in bloom.
Other noteworthy elements of the collection include: a sketch from Parliament featuring Shrapnel in the Press Gallery in the 1980’s, book reviews, radio broadcast transcripts, short stories, unpublished novels, a range of correspondence from friends to editors and producers and an invitation, menu, and seating plan for a luncheon at Buckingham Palace from 1972!
“London Letters”: A slice of everyday history
A particular genre of text that is represented in the collection, are his “London Letters”, also registered under the name “Letters from London”. Shrapnel kept many, if not all, of the transcripts for a radio broadcast that seems to have been aired weekly for BBC Overseas (now BBC Worldwide) where he discusses everything from political observations in Parliament to international tragedies like the assassination of J.F.K. Other cultural happenings, like the fight for equal pay and the youth culture of the 60’s and 70’s, are also discussed. Furthermore, quite niche, and entertaining subjects like how the British love cats, the price of beer going up, and the marvels of the London Underground, also make an appearance. The radio broadcasts themselves, do not seem to be available anywhere, so it is quite wonderful, to be able to read them all. These “London Letters”, give an extraordinary insight into the everyday lives of the British public mid-century. The subjects Shrapnel chose to report on, were chosen to reflect whatever was going on at the time. They also represent what was important for overseas countries to know about London/Britain. This angle is, of course, very capital-centric, but Shrapnel does sometimes touch on other areas of the country, like life outside London, the North vs South Divide and the Irish Troubles. His background in political journalism is also noticeable in many of the topics, as various politicians are often mentioned in relation to the subjects at play.
The “London Letters” were never only about the one thing. They were always part of a bigger discussion, like how the British view themselves and how others view them. Some subjects may feel a little silly at first glance, but they always get pulled up to a higher level. In a few “London Letters” that now seem ahead of their time, Shrapnel discusses factory farming and plastic packaging. A particular quote stands out on farming:
“It looks as though we’re humanising our machines and mechanising our animals. So much so that as far as those calves and hens are concerned, we’re well on the way to forgetting they’re alive at all.” (Letter from London, 24/10/1969, Box 3)
It can be quite surprising to learn that opinions that seem contemporary, in fact are more than 50 years old. This is what historical sources can do. They make history come alive and can give an extraordinary insight into legislation and views that you are not able to find elsewhere.
“Parliamentary Notebook”: First-hand accounts of Parliament
Shrapnel also lent his voice to a radio programme called “Woman’s Hour”. This programme had a segment called “Parliamentary Notebook”. The transcripts of these programmes are available in the collection as well. The ”Parliamentary Notebook” transcripts, are roundups of what has been going on in Parliament. These transcripts could be very useful for getting an idea of the political landscape at a given time. Most of them are dated from point of recording, so if you are interested in what was going on, at a particular date, you might be able to find a corresponding transcript. These programmes were broadcast in the 60’s and 70’s where a lot of quite heavy political events happened, so broadcasts like “Woman’s Hour” including “Parliamentary Notebook”, created a space for women to listen and learn about difficult subject matters on the radio. Like “London Letters”, the “Parliamentary Notebook” transcripts reflect contemporary news. Many of them feature insights into issues like the conflict in Rhodesia, economic problems, and race relations etc.
In his last “Parliamentary Notebook” broadcast in 1975, Shrapnel reminisces about Parliament and sums up what can be said about the allure of politics:
“And at the end of my long stint I would like to pay one hardened reporter’s tribute to the place. You can be irritated, alarmed, even downright infuriated by some of the things that go on in the Commons. But it’s astonishing how very seldom you’re bored” (Parliamentary Notebook 8/10/1975, Box 2)
Politics and Parliament can be confusing and alienating, but the “Parliamentary Notebook” broadcasts created a way for politics to be accessible and highlight the entertaining aspects of it all.
Correspondence, stories, and nature
Unsurprisingly, there is a lot of correspondence in this collection. Letters written to colleagues and received from editors etc. The way in which we communicate with each other is extremely fascinating to observe, and there is such a difference in the wording of work letters compared to the work e-mails of today! Shrapnel tried his hand in writing fiction and several short stories, and a few scripts of unpublished novels are in the collection. The letters he received rejecting his entries to journals, magazines and his novels are kept and can also be accessed. In keeping his rejection letters, as well as the ones that tell him his writing is wonderful, goes to show how the life of a writer is. The editors at Deborah Rogers Ltd Literary Agency, wrote in 1983:
“Humour is such an elusive and personal thing (…) The Long Wednesday [an unpublished novel ] did make me smile intermittently, but overall it seems contrived and without the explosively funny element which makes the best of humour so wonderfully and compulsively readable.” (Rejection letter, 03/10/1983, Box 9).
This feedback probably has some truth to it, and a writer needs to be able to take criticism towards their work, but it is somewhat reassuring to know that even a very celebrated author and journalist faced rejection sometimes!
As before mentioned, Shrapnel was also very interested in nature. In his political diaries, he has sketched a great deal of his walking routes around the countryside. In 1977 he published a book called A View of The Thames, about what is along the banks of The River Thames all the way from the source in Gloucestershire to the mouth in Southend-On-Sea. In general, there are many references to nature in the radio transcripts and his diaries, so there are plenty of resources in that direction as well. Furthermore, the process of writing a book is well documented through correspondence, drafts, and revisions, all of which can be found in the collection.
With this collection it is now possible to look up a date or an event, and read what was thought about it, from a first-hand account. There are many newspaper clippings of articles written, that can be accessed as well. With such a broad list of archival material, there are almost no limits to what you can use it for!
The Norman Shrapnel Collection is not fully catalogued but a partial box list has been created. Please contact uml.special-collections@manchester.ac.uk for further information
The Norman Shrapnel Collection complements the Guardian Archive. You can find an overview of the Guardian Collection here.
Additional Reading and Resources
A View of The Thames by Norman Shrapnel (1977)
Bluff Your Way in Politics by Norman Shrapnel (1975)
The Performers: Politics as Theatre by Norman Shrapnel (1978)
The Seventies: Britain’s Inward March by Norman Shrapnel (1980)
Obituary in the Guardian 2 Feb 2004
Discussion Points
How could you use these records to illustrate changing values towards the environment?
How do the diaries compare to the published pieces? What does this tell you about the personal and the private?
