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This sub-series contains letters from Kate O'Brien to her sisters Anne O'Mara and Mary (May) O'Brien, to Stephen O'Mara and to her nephew Peter O'Mara written between 1938 and 1939.

Letter from Kate O’Brien, Great James Street, [London] [to May O’Brien]. She has been kept busy by journalism work and hack literary jobs as her finances are low. She is thinking of giving up her London flat and moving to a cottage within a commuting distance of London. She has an article in tonight’s issue of Star on the French films currently playing in London (see P12/2/1/2/5/1). She has received an enquiry from the Dublin Gate Theatre about her plays, and is sending The Ante-Room and The Schoolroom Window for their consideration. She was invited to the Dorothy Macardle banquet at the Gresham Hotel by the Dublin Women Writers’ Club and would have liked to be there. She is trying to write a play at present, but journalism and other matters keep interfering with the work.

Letter from Kate O’Brien, 33 Great James Street, WC1, London to Anne O’Mara. She thanks Anne for being so good about the money Kate owes and hopes to be able to pay her back soon. She intends to let her flat and depart for the south of France in the first week of April and regrets she cannot get away sooner to work in peace on the novel [Pray for the Wanderer].

Letter from Kate O’Brien, The Crown Hotel, Croombridge, Kent to Anne O’Mara. Kate thanks Anne for her kind offer of a ticket but regrets that she will not travel to Ireland for Easter as she would only be able to stay for four or five days. She is recovering from a heavy cold and would prefer to carry on with work and avoid dashing violently about. Instead, she hopes to come to Ireland for a fortnight in June to coincide with Peter’s summer holidays. She believes that her novel [Pray for the Wanderer] is published on Easter Tuesday and promises Anne a copy.

Letter from Kate O’Brien, Crown Hotel, Croombridge, Kent to Stephen O’Mara. Kate responds to Stephen’s critique of Pray for the Wanderer and explains that the character of Matt [Costello] is meant to be frightening, since the book itself is lrather frightening. Matt is not a hero and not meant to be taken for a genius in enduring horror, contrary to Evelyn Waugh’s views in the Spectator review. Of the character of Liam [Costello], she admits that while she makes no portraits straight from life she does take suggestions and inspirations at times and is certain that Stephen and Anne must see where Liam came from. She also concedes that the character of Peadar may remind Stephen of his son Peter’s babyish days and is one of her favourite characters in fiction. Kate is in deep negotiations with movie people. She has the attention and interest of a few people in Paramount and Warner, who seem to want to buy stories from her, but they have to be presented in a special form, which is what is keeping her occupied.

Letter from Kate O’Brien to Peter O’Mara. Kate gives Peter messages from his mother, who is too busy to write. She wants Peter to ask for leave to come home as his American uncle [Michael O’Brien] will be in Limerick.

Letter from Kate O’Brien, 33 Great James Street, WC1, London to Anne O’Mara. Kate thanks Anne and Stephen for their hospitality and hopes to return to Ireland soon, although she admits a craving for new scenes to buck up her flagging brain and a bout of the sun to soothe her rheumatic joints. She has applied for a job with a movie firm, which she is almost certain to get and which would give her a foothold in that industry. She is working on a difficult and ambitious novel [The Land of Spices?], which she won’t be able to finish until she gets the movie job through and can retreat into solitude. She asks Anne to wait for another few weeks for the four guineas which Kate owes her for La Moderne.

Postcard from Clare O’Brien to Kate O’Brien containing news of her travels in France.

Typed letter from Kate O’Brien, End Farm, North Leigh, Witney, Oxon to Anne O’Mara. Kate thanks Anne for her good wishes, cards and presents. She gives an account of her Christmas, which she spent with Clare fooling around Oxford and toasting each other in rather peculiar cocktails.

Last page of a letter from Kate O’Brien, University Women’s Club, 2 Audley Square, South Audley Street, [London] W1 to an unidentified recipient. She notes that she and her companions will be talking about the recipient of the letter all afternoon.