Alan G. Thomas
Encyclopedia
Alan Gradon Thomas was a British
bibliophile and Lawrence Durrell
scholar who donated a significant collection
of books, journals and other materials of or pertaining to Durrell to the British Library
.
In the 1930s, Thomas owned a Bournemouth
-based antiquarian bookshop, Commin's Bookshop. He became friends with Lawrence Durrell and his younger brother Gerald Durrell
soon after the Durrell family moved to Bournemouth in 1932, and became 'a kind of extra brother to the boys and a lifelong friend'. Thomas was a lifelong correspondent of Lawrence Durrell, and in 1937 visited him on Corfu, recording his impressions of the trip in a private diary. Thomas is also the editor of Spirit of Place: Essays and Letters on Travel (1969), a compendium of letters and essays by British
author and poet Lawrence Durrell
. He is also the author of several volumes on different topics including Lawrence Durrell
's life and works and antiquarian book collecting
, including:
A collection of Thomas's letters to James A. Brigham is held at the University of Victoria
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
bibliophile and Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
scholar who donated a significant collection
Lawrence Durrell Collection
The Lawrence Durrell Collection is a special collection of books and periodicals by, about or associated with the novelist and poet Lawrence Durrell, donated to the British Library by Alan G. Thomas.-External links:*...
of books, journals and other materials of or pertaining to Durrell to the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
In the 1930s, Thomas owned a Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
-based antiquarian bookshop, Commin's Bookshop. He became friends with Lawrence Durrell and his younger brother Gerald Durrell
Gerald Durrell
Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell, OBE was a naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author and television presenter...
soon after the Durrell family moved to Bournemouth in 1932, and became 'a kind of extra brother to the boys and a lifelong friend'. Thomas was a lifelong correspondent of Lawrence Durrell, and in 1937 visited him on Corfu, recording his impressions of the trip in a private diary. Thomas is also the editor of Spirit of Place: Essays and Letters on Travel (1969), a compendium of letters and essays by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author and poet Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
. He is also the author of several volumes on different topics including Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
's life and works and antiquarian book collecting
Book collecting
Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given individual collector. The love of books is bibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and collect...
, including:
- Spirit of Place: Essays and Letters on Travel (by Lawrence DurrellLawrence DurrellLawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
, edited by Alan G. Thomas) (1969) - Fine Books: Pleasures and Treasures (1971)
- Fine Books and Book Collecting: books and manuscripts acquired from Alan G. Thomas and described by his customers on the occasion of his seventieth birthday (co-authors: Christopher De Hamel and Richard A. Linenthal) (1981)
- Great Books and Book Collectors (1983)
- Lawrence Durrell: an illustrated checklist (co-author James A. Brigham) (1983)
A collection of Thomas's letters to James A. Brigham is held at the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
.