The paper knife: Patrick White and Katherine Mansfield

Alexander Turnbull Library curator, Dr Oliver Stead, will discuss the influence of Katherine Mansfield on renowned Australian writer Patrick White, winner of the 1973 Nobel Prize in Literature.

A writer's influence
In this talk, Oliver Stead (Curator, Drawings, Paintings and Prints at the Turnbull) will discuss the influence of Katherine Mansfield on the Australian writer, Patrick White. Although he was born in the UK, White grew up in Australia where he became a renowned novelist and playwright — the only Australian to have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

In 1961 White visited the Alexander Turnbull Library where an unusual link between White and Katherine Mansfield was first revealed. While visiting the Library, he also donated a silver and greenstone paper knife that had belonged to Katherine Mansfield.

About the speaker
Dr Oliver Stead, Curator, Drawings, Paintings and Prints at the Turnbull, holds degrees in Art History and Information Studies. Prior to joining the Turnbull team he held curatorial and collection management roles at Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Auckland Museum, National Library of Australia and the Wallace Arts Trust.