The collection includes personal material of Ruth First and her immediate family, papers relating to First's work as a journalist in South Africa, as a university lecturer, an anti-apartheid activist, and as an author and editor of numerous books and articles on Africa and other political topics, 1946-1982. The collection also includes research papers and printed material relating to First and her family, collected both during her lifetime and after her death. Principally comprising Original Deposit (RF 1): biographical material, 1964-1983 (RF 1/1); personal and family papers 1946-1982 (RF 1/2); personal correspondence 1960-1982 (RF 1/3) correspondents include Joe Slovo (1960-1978), Gillian Slovo (1965-1982), Robyn Slovo (c1965-1982), Bram Fischer (1971-1974), Gavin Williams (1975-1981); newspaper journalism, 1946-1982, comprising issues and selected cuttings from South African Communist Party newspapers The Guardian, 19446-1951, Clarion, Jul-Aug 1952, People's World, Oct 1952, Advance, Nov 1952 - Jan 1953, New Age, 1960-1962 and Spark, Jan-Mar 1963 (RF 1/4); work for magazines, book reviews, and other short pieces, 1962-1980 (RF 1/5); papers on publications researched or edited by First, including South Africa: The Peasants' Revolt by Govan Mbeki, 1963-1977, No Easy Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, 1964-1973, Not Yet Uluru: The Autobiography of Oginga Odinga, 1963-1968, South West Africa: Travesty of Trust edited by First and Ronald Segal, 1966-1967 (RF 1/6); papers on books written by First, including South West Africa, 1963-1976, 117 Days, 1964-1969, The Barrel of a Gun: Political Power in Africa, 1965-1973, Libya: the Elusive Revolution, 1971-1976, The South African Connection: Western Investment in Apartheid, 1970-1975, Olive Schreiner: a Biography, co-authored with Ann Scott, 1955-1981, Black Gold: the Mozambican Miner, Proletarian and Peasant, 1946-1983 (RF 1/7); papers on propopsed publications by First, including Vulnerability of African Independence 1969-1970, Power over Africa, 1970-1972, The African Predicament: a Reader, 1970-1973 (RF 1/8); papers on First's assistance with various publications, 1964-1975 (RF 1/9); scripts and associated correspondence relating to First's television and radio work, 1963-1976, particularly Ninety Days a BBC television broadcast based on First's period of detention in South Africa under the 90 Day Law, 1963-1966 (RF 1/10); papers on non-academic conferences and seminars, 1964-1978 (RF 1/11; papers on First's lecture tours of Sweden, 1965-1966, Denmark, 1971, and the USA, 1974 (RF 1/12); papers on conferences and seminars, 1965-1981 (RF 1/13); papers on First's academic career, 1964-1980, particularly as lecturer in development studies at the University of Durham, 1973-1978, and at the African Studies Centre, University Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, 1975-1982 (RF 1/14); resource material on South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Algeria, Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, Senegal, Sudan, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, sociology and including copies of articles, seminar papers, newspaper cuttings, notes and drafts (RF 1/15); papers on bibliographical work, including correspondence, notes, catalogues and bibliographies (RF 1/16); papers on political organisations of which First was a member Native Representative Council [1945-1946], the African National Congress (ANC), [1959]-1982, the South African Communist Party (SACP) [1965-1971], the Pan-Africanist Congress [1967-1973] and the Anti-Apartheid Movement [1970-1971] (RF 1/17); papers on political prisoners in South Africa, 1955-1973 (RF 1/18); newspaper cuttings from British and South African newspapers, mainly covering political issues in South Africa, 1947-1982; the Rosalynde Ainslie Collection (RF 2); mainly research material accumulated by First during her professional career, covering a wide range of African and political subjects, but also including personal correspondence and press cuttings; personal correspondence with friends, family and acquaintances 1947-1976, including letters to First from her daughters Shawn, Gillian and Robyn, 1968-1975 (RF 2/1); papers on First's work as a journalist, 1946-1959 (RF 2/2); correspondence and papers on Joe Slovo's work as an advocate and political campaigner, 1951-1976 (RF 2/3); papers on book Not Yet Uluru: The Autobiography of Oginga Odinga, edited by First (RF 2/4); research papers on miners in Mozambique, mainly carried out by First in association with Dave Wield and Mark Wuyts at the African Studies Centre, University Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, 1964-1980 (RF 2/5); papers on First's academic career at the University of Durham, 1973-1978 (RF 2/6); papers on First's work on the Editorial Working Group of the Review of African Political Economy (ROAPE), 1974-1978 (RF 2/7); United Nations correspondence and papers, [1964-1982], including copy of First's statement to the Special Committee on the Policies of Apartheid of the Government of South Africa, 1964 (RF 2/8); research material on South African law enforcement, 1953-1966 (RF 2/9); research material on South Africa, Apartheid and the ANC, 1936-1976 (RF 2/10); research material on outside investment in South Africa, [1972-1978] (RF 2/11); research material on South African labour and trade unions, [1949-1976] (RF 2/12); South Africa seminar papers, 1968-1978 (RF 2/13); South African Institute of Race Relations publications, 1956-1963 (RF 2/14); Anti-Apartheid movement publications, 1963-1978 (RF 2/15); papers and articles relating to Southern Africa, 1965-1978 (RF 2/16); research material on South West Africa/Namibia, 1960-1974 (RF 2/17); research material on Portugese Africa (Mozambique, Angola), 1961-1976 (RF 2/18); research material on Zimbabwe, 1969-1985 (RF 2/19); research material on Ghana, 1966-1976 (RF 2/20); research material on Libya, 1969-1975 (RF 2/21); research material on Sudan, 1958-1972 (RF 2/22); research material on land use and urban development in Kampala, Uganda, 1964-1970 (RF 2/24); research material on Latin America, 1966-1972 (RF 2/25); research material on Brazil, 1973-1976 (RF 2/26); research material on Chile, 1971-1976 (RF 2/27); academic papers on Cuba, 1971-1976 (RF 2/28); research material on Peru, 1967-1977 (RF 2/29); research material on unions, strikes, and workers, 1966-1978 (RF 2/30); research material on military power, mainly in Africa, some material on Asia and Latin America, [1963-1977] (RF 2/31); newspapers and newslatters, 1933-1976 (RF 2/32); Africa Bureau publications, 1970-1975 (RF 2/33); International Defence and Aid Fund publications, 1969-1977 (RF 2/34); Liberation Support Movement publications, 1974 (RF 2/35); pamphlets, 1965-1984 (RF 2/36); Learn and Teach [South African adult literacy organisation] publications, 1983-1985 (RF 2/37); miscellaneous research material, 1965-1975 (RF 2/38); speech notes [1963-1980] (RF 2/39); Other Deposits, 1944-1991 (RF 3) includes some of First's correspondence and working papers, and secondary material created after her death, including papers of the Ruth First Memorial Trust; Reference material (RF 4), mainly printed pamphlets, reports and journals on Namibia, 1958-1973, South Africa, 1944-1981, South African legislation, 1957-1959, South African Government Gazettes, 1962-1965, reprints and official publications, 1957-1986; Open University course material: Great Britain 1750-1950 [1974], the letters of Olive Schreiner, 1889-[c1919]; material deposited by Alice Bernstein (RF 5), mainly printed material collected after First's death, 1957-1991; Don Pinnock interview transcripts (RF 6); printed copies of interviews with prominent South African figures, carried out by Pinnock whilst working at Grahamstown University, 1987-1993; Kate Carey interview transcripts (RF 7); printed copies of interviews with Rosalynde de Lanerolle [nee Ainslie] and Mannie Brown, 1993.
