C’è ancora qualcosa di nuovo da dire su le Carré? Per un suo caro amico, che gli ha dedicato un libro e una mostra, sì.

The Bodleian Library in Oxford brings together manuscripts, photos and notes by the author that demonstrate his meticulousness and research.

“I was a PhD student at Oxford in the 90s, working on the Russian mafia, doing field work in the middle of nowhere in Siberia,” professor Federico Varese recalls.
“One day I got an email from somebody claiming to be John le Carré. I thought this is a very good joke from my friends – or the beginning of something important.”
Le Carré – real name David Cornwell – the masterful thriller writer relied on rigorous research, which grounded his books in a palpable reality.

Inside the John le Carré tradecraft exhibition with Co-Curators Jessica Douthwaite and Federico Varese.

​

El novelista y ex espía, obsesionado con la precisión en los detalles de sus libros, viajaba y estudiaba con una red de expertos para documentarse, como retrata una nueva exposición de la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Oxford, que guarda sus archivos.

EXHIBITION
John le Carré: Tradecraft
1 October 2025 – 6 April 2026
Treasury, Weston Library
Free admission, no ticket required
Discover the enduring legacy of one of the greatest writers of the past century.
Tradecraft draws upon the vast archive of John le Carré, otherwise known as David Cornwell. Held at the Bodleian Libraries, this material – much of which is displayed for the first time – spans Cornwell’s entire life and career, from his time as a student at Lincoln College, Oxford, to drafts penned in his final weeks.

The World Drug Report, published every year by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, aims to provide an accurate, scientific and impartial overview of drug trends and patterns around the world.

In this year’s volume on Contemporary issues on drugs, the chapter on “Drug trafficking and organized crime” draws on the framework developed by Federico Varese and his team in the ERC-funded CrimGov project.

Le rapport mondial sur les drogues, publié chaque année par l'Office des Nations unies contre la drogue et le crime, vise à fournir une vue d'ensemble précise, scientifique et impartiale des tendances mondiales en matière de consommation et de trafic de drogues.
Dans le volume consacré aux questions contemporaines en matière de drogues, le chapitre sur le trafic de drogues et le crime organisé s'appuie cette année sur le cadre d'analyse développé par Federico Varese et son équipe dans le cadre du projet CrimGov financé par une prestigieuse bourse du Conseil européen de la recherche (ERC).

Long after he’d given up his intelligence career, the author remained at the centre of a web of contacts who played a key role in his writing. Now they’re revealed in an exhibition.