Archive of correspondence between the Irish playwright George Bernard So and the American journalist Charles Hayden Church (1878-1956) based in the United Kingdom, which includes interview notes, sold at auction of Bonham’s in London.

According to the auction house, Church was one of the journalists whom Bernard Shaw wanted to interview and corresponded with for more than two decades.

Autograph and typed letters, memoranda and postcards signed ‘G. Bernard Shaw’ or ‘GBS’ to the reporter, some marked ‘Confidential’ and Shaw’s reply letters written by him or his secretaries are included in the file.

His thoughts on alphabet reform, sex education in schools, his vegetarian diet, and women’s equality, along with more difficult issues such as eugenics and the post-war partition of Palestine are among the topics he addresses in the letters.

He was ahead of his time and a century ago he was a champion of women’s independence: “A woman’s right to motherhood should not depend on her having a husband.”

In the archive, there were also photographs of the playwright with his comments on the back, scrapbooks and a collection of his plays.