Exhibition to showcase John le Carré archive

An exhibition about John le Carré is set to open in October

An exhibition celebrating bestselling spy novelist John le Carré will feature his annotated manuscripts and personal correspondence.

It will go on display at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford on 1 October, offering a glimpse into the Dorset-born author's writing process and personal life.

Le Carré, whose real name was David Cornwell, wrote acclaimed novels including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, and The Night Manager. He died in 2020 aged 89.

His son, author Nick Harkaway, said holding the exhibition - titled John le Carré: Tradecraft - at the Bodleian felt "like a homecoming".

Handwritten notes for The Little Drummer Girl will form part of the exhibition

"Oxford took my father in when he was desperate to escape his own father's malign influence and kept his place when he couldn't afford it," said Mr Harkaway.

"The Bodleian was his refuge then and his choice for his archive now."

The exhibition will include research notes, drafts and corrections from le Carré's novels, alongside original sketches, watercolours and letters to fans and friends.

Among the highlights is a letter from actor Sir Alec Guinness, who questioned his suitability to play George Smiley — le Carré's best-known character — writing that he was "not really rotund and double-chinned".

Prof Federico Varese, pictured with le Carré and his wife, helped curate the display

The author persuaded Guinness to take the role in the BBC adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which aired to critical acclaim in the late 1970s.

The display spans le Carré's life, from his time as an Oxford student to drafts written in his final weeks, with some material being shown publicly for the first time.

It was curated by le Carré's longtime collaborator Prof Federico Varese and Dr Jessica Douthwaite, with support from the author's family.

In a joint statement, the pair said the exhibition would uncover the author's "researcher's spirit, commitment to understanding real-world problems, meticulous attention to detail and working relationships".