Diaries

Diaries and other forms of life writing can be found across Special Collections.

Diaries are primary sources, in which an individual records experiences in their own words, often shortly after an event. They can seem like letters, but are not always obviously addressed to a recipient or audience.

Diaries may have been written for many reasons: for later publication, as a record of for future generations, or as a personal record for the author. Different diaries can vary substantially. Some give an apparently plain record of events, while others can seem more intimate or confessional. The tone, language and volume of information found in diary entries can give us clues to the type of diary we are looking at.

As personal records of experiences, diaries are often subjective, and researchers need to approach them with this in mind. Diary entries intended for public consumption might omit personal information or embarrassing incidents. Even diaries written as personal records may contain gaps: events or meetings which the writer is keen to forget or to re-vision in some way.
Inaccuracies like these reveal a lot about the writer, and their wider context.

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