Tony Harrison – Writing 'Them & [uz]'

The Tony Harrison Archive at the University of Leeds provides fascinating insight into the work and life of one of the most important poets writing in Britain today.

It contains over 250 notebooks, hundreds of files, and thousands of letters that trace the development of many of his most famous works.

Harrison's notebooks are meticulous records of his working process and inspiration. They contain photographs, labels and objects that inspired him, as well as multiple drafts of poems, and chart the complex evolution of his work.

You can find drafts for one of his best known poems, 'Them & [uz]', in one of a series of notebooks that document the collection of poems published as 'The School of Eloquence'.

'Them & [uz]' was first published in the August 1974 edition of Planet magazine, before appearing in a collection of Harrison's work titled ‘From 'The School of Eloquence' and other poems’ (Rex Collings, 1978). It has since featured in numerous anthologies.

This resource traces the development of 'Them & [uz]' through these layered drafts and notes, and shows its continued evolution since first publication.

Image credit Leeds University Library