The ‘archival imagination’ of Frank Moorhouse

Dr Matthew Lamb presents his recent National Library of Australia Fellowship research on Frank Moorhouse’s ‘archival imagination’, exploring how his methods shaped his work and identity.
Frank Moorhouse developed what he called an ‘archival imagination’ through his use of libraries and archives. He submitted his own papers to various collections and created a note-taking system based on index cards. From this method, he created many of his stories, books and essays. He ultimately came to see himself as an archive personified.
Frank Moorhouse was a legendary writer in Australian literary and cultural life. He was known for a diverse body of work including essays, short stories, journalism, scripts, the iconic ‘Edith Trilogy’. 
Dr Matthew Lamb is a 2026 National Library of Australia Fellow, supported by the Ray Mathew and Eva Kollsman Trust for Research in Australian Literature. He is the author of ‘Frank Moorhouse: Strange Paths’, the first in a projected two volume cultural biography of Frank Moorhouse. He is a former editor of ‘Review of Australian Fiction’ and ‘Island’ magazines.
Dr Lamb has two PhDs in Literature and Philosophy and currently writes the ‘Public Things Newsletter’ on the relationship between literary culture and democracy.