The James Kirkup Papers includes correspondence, writings, photographs, audiovisual material, personal documents and memorabilia that document the life and work of British author James Kirkup. The papers span his writing career, from early school papers to digital books published in the 2000s, and include documentation of the diverse genres of Kirkup's research and writing: autobiography, poetry, travel writing, obituaries, novels, dramatic works, and translations. The papers document not only Kirkup's life and work, but also pacifism as a theme in literature, twentieth-century gay life, émigré life in Japan, twentieth-century literature and poetry (especially haiku), and Kirkup's family history. Prominent correspondents include Akiko Takemoto and Muriel Metcalfe.