50 volumes of Python notes and letters

Michael Palin has donated more than 50 notebooks to the British Library.

The personal archive contains annoated draft scripts and personal reflections about his Monty Python years, as well as correspondence and his personal diaries.

The documents cover the years 1965 to 1987, a slightly longer timescale than the published volumes of his diaries.

Speaking of making his approach to the British Library to make the donation, Palin, now 74, said: 'I was a bit shy really. I thought I should go to my local library to see if they wanted it.'

Included is a letter containing the first BBC offer of a show from five of the six Pythons – Terry Gilliam not yet part of the team – which documents a pay difference between the team. Cleese, Jones and Palin were on 12 guineas, Idle on 11 and Chapman on ten.

Palin told Radio 4's Today programme that the 'doodles, notes and scribbles' might give fans an insight into how Python developed.

Describing one book, he said 'Here you can see all the nuts and bolts of it. You can see things that have been crossed out. So someone can try to understand why it was crossed out, There are arrows putting material into a different place and all that, so you can see how it evolved from just being an idea,

'People ask me so often, "How did you start Monty Python?", "How do you get into writing?" There's no better way than actually looking at the material, the way we did it, and you can see it all here.'

The British Library’s Rachel Foss said: ‘We are thrilled that Michael Palin has chosen to donate this fascinating and wide-ranging collection. Michael’s contribution to comedy, film and television over the past 50 years has been enormous, in particular through Monty Python which has had an unparalleled influence on British comedy and internationally. 

‘We’re looking forward to making it available for researchers, students and everyone with an interest in post-war popular culture. It’s particularly exciting to think that the comedy talent of tomorrow may find inspiration from this collection.’

The collection will be available to view in the British Library Reading Rooms from spring 2018.

Published: 13 Jun 2017