The Henri J.M. Nouwen Archives and Research Collection opened on September 21, 2000 as a centre within the John M. Kelly Library of the University of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto. The mandate of the Archives is to acquire, preserve, promote and make available material created by and about Henri Nouwen.
If you have letters, manuscripts, photographs, postcards or other material relevant to the Archive, you will be particularly interested in the Nouwen Archive Letter Project. Refer to the website for more information about the history and goals of the project, and to see how you can participate in Henri Nouwen’s legacy.
Those interested in the life and thought of Nouwen will find a comprehensive collection of more than 166 linear feet of material in all media, including a complete set of his books, an extensive collection of articles published by Nouwen from 1957 to 1996, manuscripts, correspondence, sound and video recordings, teaching material, administrative files, photographs*, research material collected by Nouwen on the work of Anton Boisen, Seward Hiltner, Thomas Merton and Van Gogh.
The Archives maintains a Research Collection of material about Nouwen produced since his death in 1996. This collection includes book reviews, theses, translations of his books, anthologies and articles. Researchers have made use of this material to gain insight into the development of Nouwen’s thought, to delve deeper into themes expressed in his books, or to research related subjects such as L’Arche, social justice, the relationship between psychology and theology.
Permissions
While most of the material in the Nouwen Archives is available for consultation, written permission from The Henri Nouwen Literary Trust is required for access to some records. The Archivist, Gabrielle Earnshaw, will advise you and assist with the permission request procedure.
If you have any questions about the publishing aspect of Nouwen’s legacy or if you require information in connection with permission to quote from Nouwen’s work, please contact:
The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust
Sally Keefe Cohen, Literary Manager
sally@sallykeefecohen.ca
416-971-7543
Donating Material to the Archives
The Archives actively pursues and accepts donation of material by or about Henri Nouwen. Letters, notes, audio and videocassettes, transcripts of talks, manuscripts and other material would be of great interest and value to the Archives. Please contact the Archivist to discuss your interest further. For more information, e-mail specialcollections.kellylibrary@utoronto.ca or call (416) 926-2314
Visit Henri J.M. Nouwen Archives
The Henri J.M. Nouwen Archives and Research Collection is located on the second floor of the John M. Kelly Library.
John M. Kelly Library University of St. Michael’s College
113 St. Joseph Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5S 1J4
Telephone: (416) 926-2314
Email: specialcollections.kellylibrary@utoronto.ca
Hours of Operation
The Henri J.M. Nouwen Archives and Research Collection is open Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is advisable to make an appointment before visiting the Archives to ensure the Archivist is available to assist you.
