Richard Burton diaries – Swansea University

Huge publicity for Swansea University over the last two weeks with the publication of Richard Burton’s private diaries.

Professor Chris Williams, who edited The Richard Burton Diaries, and who spoke about them at the launch events in the USA, said:
“Richard Burton was, and remains, a global name and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to speak internationally about his personal diaries, which reveal the deeply cultured, widely-read, intellectual man he was.  And I think he would have been very pleased as well.”

Richard Burton’s diaries form part of a bequest of his papers to Swansea University by Sally Burton and are held in the Richard Burton Archives and Research Centre.

The Archives have been providing support for launch events and transcription of the text for the edition was carried out by Assistant Archivist, Dr Katrina Legg. The diaries were serialised in The Telegraph and launched at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. There has been worldwide media interest in the publication which has resulted in a number of requests for filming in the Archives. Launch events were organised by the Welsh Government in the United States in New York and Los Angeles, with readings from the diaries by Kate Burton, Matthew Rhys, Ioan Gruffudd and Andrew Howard. Chris Williams appeared on the NBC ‘Today’ programme:
http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49415059#49415059