Notre Dame London will have a multifaceted approach to the use of this library, which would, in fact, be the focal point for a center for Chesterton studies. Chesterton was a genuine polymath who wrote prolifically on philosophy, theology, Catholic social teaching, literary criticism, history, and more. He was also a journalist, a writer of fiction and poetry, and was formally trained in the areas of art and design. The Chesterton collection reflects all those talents, but it is particularly strong in the area of reception and translation studies (including parodies and imitations), the literature of distributism and social policy, and what we might generally call “design” (i.e., the children’s theater as well as his marginal doodling in his personal books). Much of this collection will thus be of interest to scholars in any of the above-mentioned fields.
Once the Collection is established in London, Chesterton enthusiasts can look at an array of carefully curated artifacts and books that best represent his life’s work.