Chiefly from 16 Newton Road to Somerville College, Oxford. Regular subject matter includes: questions and advice on matters domestic, personal and academic (books, lectures, food, furnishings for Kate's room etc); news of Kate's father, F R Leavis, and discussion of articles written about him, often mentioning his students and events at Downing College, including the search for an artist to paint his portrait [the portrait was painted by Peter Greenham]; news of Kate's brother Robin, and family and friends, including Mary Pitter and her younger sister Sasha Wernberg-Moller, the Bells and Etain Kabraji; asking for news of Kate's brother Ralph, who is also studying at Oxford, and asking her to pass on news and various requests to him; arrangements for family holidays; Kate's academic progress, her interest in joining the Civil Service and her eventual acceptance of a post with the L[ondon] C[ounty] C[ouncil]; the possibility of moving to a new family home; Q D's health and domestic issues. Also discusses the work of both Q D and F R Leavis, including the following:
1) F R Leavis writing a speech for the opening of the D H Lawrence Museum in Nottingham in June 1960;
2) Cambridge University Press inviting F R and Q D Leavis to make an Anthology of English Poetry in June 1960;
3) comment on the use of F R Leavis' book on D H Lawrence in the Lady Chatterley's Lover trial in November 1960;
4) a suggestion by C L Wrenn that F R Leavis should stand for the Chair of Poetry in Oxford;
5) the possibility of Q D Leavis taking classes of students at Newnham College.