The Bunting mss., 1946-47 consists of correspondence and writings by author and editor William Charles Franklyn Plomer (1903-1973). Born in Pietersburg, South Africa, Plomer was the son of English parents who were civil servants for the colonies. He lived much of his life by traveling back and forth between South Africa and the United Kingdom, and completed most of his studies in the latter country. His first novel, Turbott Wolfe (1925), explored colonialism and interracial marriage. In 1926, Plomer left South Africa and sailed to Japan, where he wrote several volumes of short stories and poetry. His novel Sado (1931) was also partly inspirted by a his affair with a Japanese man he met in the country. In the later 1930s and early 1940s, Plomer became an editor for Faber and Faber, where he gained fame for his work on Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. Throughout his lifetime, Plomer's writings explored his multicultural roots and experiences, as well as racial equality and homosexuality.

The collection includes his letters to author David George Bunting (1890-1967). See also the Bunting mss. II, 1952-1960, which contains other correspondence between authors Lady Cynthia Mary Evelyn (Charteris) Asquith (1887-1970) and Daniel George Bunting (1890-1967).