collection 51 - International Virginia Woolf Society fonds

The International Virginia Woolf Society has as its mandate to foster and encourage the scholarly study of, critical attention to, and general interest in, the work and career of Virginia Woolf; and to facilitate communication and share knowledge between all people interested in her writings. It sponsors sessions at annual Modern Language Association of America (MLA) Conventions. Membership is open to any individual, educational institution, or corporation interested in its aims, and through payment of annual dues.

The Society traces its origins to the 1970 MLA Convention, when a seminar entitled "The Uses of the Manuscripts in Virginia Woolf Studies" took place, bringing together 35 scholars. From this initial connection a newsletter, the Virginia Woolf Miscellany, was begun in 1973, and at the 1975 MLA Convention a steering committee was formed that laid the groundwork for the incorporation of the Virginia Woolf Society in 1976. In 1982 the Society began to contribute a portion of its dues to the publication of the Virginia Woolf Miscellany. By 1996 about a fourth of Society members were outside the United States, and recognition of this global scholarship led to the name being changed to the International Virginia Woolf Society in December of that year.