The collection consists of materials, predominantly correspondence, relating to the life and work of Ethel Mannin.

The majority of the letters are written from Mannin to British librarian Gilbert Turner, chronicling almost forty years of friendship. Mannin's letters are often requests for information to be used for her research; however, they also reveal Mannin's personal life and her opinions on literary and political subjects, including the Middle East, Zionism, Ireland, England, and the Catholic Church. The letters contain valuable information regarding her second husband, the Quaker peace activist Reginald Reynolds. A few letters by Mannin have short additional notes written by Reynolds, in his own hand, to Turner. Mannin's letters to Turner are occasionally written on the reverse side of letters sent to her by other recipients.

The correspondence includes a large number of letters written to Mannin and Reynolds' biographer, Robert Huxter, as well as letters to Mannin's daughter, Jean Faulk, and others. There are a small number of letters to Huxter from a variety of others, some of which are about Mannin, and others of which are about Huxter's writings.

Visual materials include a single portrait of Ethel Mannin drawn by Louis Ollier, as well as photographs of Mannin, Reginald Reynolds, Gilbert Turner, and three unidentified women.

The Writings consist of Mannin's journal from her travels in Japan, which was the source of her novel Sabishisa, and an annotated draft of the blurb for Kildoon.