John le Carré, who died in 2020 at the age of 89, was a student at Lincoln College, Oxford. It is therefore somewhat fitting that a small, intimate, exhibition of his works is on display at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. In his long distinguished career as an author, le Carré created many memorable characters, leading off with Alec Leamas (played by Richard Burton in the film) in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1963) and probably most famously followed by George Smiley (Alec Guinness on TV and Gary Oldman in the cinema) in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, published in 1974. He was a Smart Alec indeed.

It is, I guess, rather appropriate that a man who made his name primarily by writing spy fiction should have done so under a pseudonym. He was born David Cornwell and the subject matter on display here includes material from his time as a student at Oxford. The exhibition is called Tradecraft, a word le Carré added to the lexicon of spies, describing the techniques of espionage, and among the items on display at the Bodleian is a glossary of other words and terms which became as familiar as old friends to those eagerly engrossed by the le Carré oeuvre: babysitters, lamplighters, the reptile fund and so on.

A large portrait of le Carré greets the visitor, along with a quote which reads: “What is loyalty – to ourselves, to whom, to what?” This may have been in his mind when penning one particular line from TTSS – “It’s the oldest question of all – who spies on the spies?” A handwritten note in the collection suggests his discomfort about passing on information about fellow-students to MI5. On the other side, he made good use of his contacts in the intelligence services to add authenticity to his plot lines. He also acknowledged that Smiley was based on his college tutor, the Rev Vivian Green – that he had “Vivian’s patience, his sagacity, his discretion, his memory. And that peculiar loneliness that comes from knowing and seeing a lot that you can’t do much about.” Or, as Cornwell/le Carré put it, “all the qualities I lacked”.

The exhibition was curated by his collaborator, Professor Federico Varese, the author of the accompanying book, Tradecraft: Writers on John le Carré, and a long-standing friend of the writer. Furthermore, le Carré’s family were significantly involved in assembling all the materials: drafts, research notes, personal correspondence and photographs. Also sketches and paintings; while enormously renowned for his writing, le Carré was assuredly a multi-talented creative force. Tradecraft is at the Bodleian Library until April 6. Entry is free and there is no need to book ahead.