This autumn, for the first time ever, the meticulous research methods and attention to detail of author John le Carré will be unveiled when his private archive goes on display. The master spy novelist’s archive, housed at the Bodleian libraries at the University of Oxford, will be the focus of a new exhibition titled John le Carré: Tradecraft.
Le Carré’s cold war-era spy novels have been immensely popular, selling millions of copies worldwide and inspiring numerous film and television adaptations. The archive contains thousands of papers documenting his work on the novels.
David Cornwell, le Carré’s real name, intended his archive to be kept at his alma mater. After his death in 2020, his archive was donated through the acceptance-in-lieu scheme. Le Carré admired Oxford, as did his iconic character, George Smiley.
The exhibition will showcase le Carré’s character notes, sketches, annotated manuscripts, and more. One of his drafts for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy introduced Smiley as “small, podgy and at best middle-aged,” with a scribble noting “His legs were short, his gait anything but agile.”
The future spy and diplomat worked with MI5 and MI6. However, he saw himself as a writer who had been a spy, not the other way around. The exhibition explores his research methods and techniques used in writing, showcasing how he developed characters like Smiley and Karla, the KGB spymaster.
John le Carré’s exhibition will celebrate his rigorous approach to research and writing, influenced by hisSpy career. The show, co-curated by le Carré’s collaborator and longstanding friend Prof Federico Varese and Dr Jessica Douthwaite, will run at the Weston Library, Bodleian libraries, from 1 October until 6 April 2026.
An accompanying book, Tradecraft: Writers on John le Carré, will be released by Bodleian Library Publishing.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jul/08/john-le-carre-private-archive-exhibition-oxford
