Andrew Motion: US is stripping Britain of its literary treasures

Andrew Motion, the Poet Laureate, has joined leading figures from the arts in warning that future generations face a "black hole" in public collections of contemporary art and literature.

While the world's billionaires were busy snapping up the work of Britain's leading artists for record prices earlier this month, the curators of the UK's museums and galleries could only look on and despair.

Professor Motion and the British Library are worried that Britain's leading authors are selling their manuscripts abroad because Britain's foremost literary institution - the British Library - cannot compete on price with American universities.

They are now calling on the new Chancellor, Alistair Darling, to introduce tax incentives that will encourage wealthy individuals and artists to sell their work or collections to British institutions.

A report published last week by the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee highlighted the concerns of museums and galleries.

The Visual Arts and Galleries Association told the committee: "The cost of major works of contemporary art far exceeds the purchasing power of public sector galleries."

Ronald Milne of the British Library said that recently the papers and manuscripts of prominent living authors Tom Stoppard, Penelope Lively and Doris Lessing had all gone to America.

Professor Motion said on Friday that it was important authors were paid for their work, but also important their work remained in the UK. "We should keep it here because it's ours," he said. "It makes complete sense to have Philip Larkin's work in Hull. There is nothing like holding a manuscript in your hand or looking at it through glass, seeing the revisions, imagining the hand across the page. Let's get off our backsides and look after these things. There should be... tax breaks. I had several conversations with Gordon Brown about this. I hope the new Chancellor will take it forward."

A spokesman for the Treasury said tax policies were always under review.