PCL MS 195 Gwynne Forster Papers

The Gwynne Forster Papers are comprised of approximately 15 cubic feet of manuscript materials donated by the author beginning in 2001, with an additional donation by her family in 2019. 

The collection has no restrictions placed on its use for scholarly purposes. Researchers are responsible for securing copyright permission when using all unpublished manuscripts and published works, whether authored by Gwynne Forster or by other writers whose works may be found in this collection. Please contact the BPCL reference email with any questions about this collection.

This finding aid was prepared by Mary Koslovsky in November 2005 and updated by Manuscripts and Outreach Archivist Steve Ammidown in January 2017 and February 2019. The inventory was updated to include the 2019 donation by Steve Ammidown in August of 2020.

Gwynne Forster (Gwendolyn Johnson-Acsadi) was born in 1922 in Burgaw, North Carolina, but grew up in Washington, D.C. After graduating from high school at the age of 16, she went on to obtain degrees in sociology and demography from Howard University, American University and Columbia University before accepting a position at the United Nations in 1951.

Beginning as a demographer, Johnson-Acsadi was part of the Population Division at the United Nations from 1951 until her retirement in 1983, rising to the rank of Chief of the Fertility Studies section of the Population Division. She was responsible for research and analysis of social, economic, cultural and demographic factors and conditions that influence fertility levels and trends throughout the world. These studies were published under the United Nations imprimatur and in the name of its Secretary-General.

After retiring from the United Nations, Gwendolyn and her husband George worked as independent consultants in demography and population studies, including work with the International Planned Parenthood Federation. 

Adopting the pen name Gwynne Forster, she published her first novel, Sealed With a Kiss with Kensington Publishing's Arabesque line in 1995, at the age of 73. Forster was one of the early authors to write for Arabesque, the first romance line to focus on Black authors telling stories of Black love. Sealed With a Kiss began a career which included more than 40 novels and numerous contributions to short story compilations for publishers that included Genesis Press and Harlequin in addition to Kensington.

Forster was one of the pioneers of African-American romance fiction and won many awards over the course of her career, including lifetime achievement awards from Romantic Times and Affaire de Coeur. She also received multiple awards from the Romance Slam Jam, an annual gathering of African-American romance fans and writers. She lectured extensively on writing, and also worked as a freelance journalist.  
Gwynne Forster (Gwendolyn Johnson-Acsadi) passed away in 2015.

The Gwynne Forster Papers are comprised of approximately 15 cubic feet of personal papers, manuscripts, and promotional materials. The collection dates from approximately 1951 - 2001.

This collection of papers shows the full sweep of Gwynne Forster's career, including early rejection letters, handwritten notes and manuscripts, efforts at self-promotion, communications with publishers and editors, and more. An extensive collection of fan mail shows the strong connection between authors and their readers. 

Researchers will find much to study in Gwynne Forster's work. Forster had already been an academic, a public servant, and a world traveler before taking on the world of romance writing, quickly becoming one of the genre's pioneering Black writers. 

Several folders in the collection are marked as RESTRICTED in the inventory, primarily due to the presence of personally identifiable information. These folders may be available for research after consultation with the archivist.