‘Like an academic’: private papers reveal John le Carré’s attention to detail

The exhibition will portray John le Carré as a writer who had worked as a spy rather than as a spy who became a writer. Photograph: Alamy

The extent of John le Carré’s meticulous research and attention to detail are among insights into his working methods that will be revealed when the master of spy thrillers’ private archive goes on display for the first time this autumn.

His classic cold war-era espionage novels have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide and inspired acclaimed films and television adaptations.