A newly-discovered collection of poems typed by DH Lawrence has been bought by the University of Nottingham.
Pansies caused such controversy in 1929 that the Government ordered copies of it should be confiscated on the grounds of indecency.
To avoid losing his work to the censors, the Eastwood-born author created several typescripts which he sent secretly to publishers.
The version bought by the university is a previously-unknown typing with hand-written corrections by the author, who died while in voluntary exile in France in 1930.
Dr Andrew Harrison, Director of the DH Lawrence Research Centre at The University of Nottingham, said: “It is astonishing that the consumptive Lawrence, who hated the mechanical business of typing, could summon the energy to re-type his longest book of poems so often, barely twelve months before his death.
“But he was wholly committed to striking back at the Home Secretary, and to fighting censorship.”
The book of poems was the last DH Lawrence saw published during his controversial life.
It was bought from a London dealer having previously been unearthed from a private collection in America.
The author is best known for writing Lady Chatterley’s Lover in 1928, which created great debate for its use of sexually-explicit words and which was considered indecent at the time.
It could not be published openly in Britain until 1960, but is now considered one of the great landmarks of literature.
Pansies can be viewed by appointment at the University of Nottingham’s Manuscripts and Special Collections reading rooms.
