NELM has principally three collections: manuscripts, books and journals, and press clippings. The museum also conducts many outreach programmes (mainly focussed on school pupils and university students) aimed at promoting and creating awareness of South Africa's rich literary heritage.

The National English Literary Museum (NELM) is located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is a museum dedicated to the study and celebration of the English language and its literature. The museum was established in 2002 and is part of the South African National Library and Information System (SANLIS). NELM houses a wide range of rare and unique books, manuscripts, documents, photographs, prints and audio-visual material related to the English language and its literature.

It is the only repository of its kind in South Africa and one of the largest in Africa. The collection includes works from the sixteenth century to the present day, and covers a range of genres, including poetry, drama, fiction and non-fiction. The museum also houses a library which is open to the public. The library contains over 10,000 books and periodicals, as well as a range of reference material. The museum also organizes a range of educational activities, lectures and workshops for students, teachers and the general public. It runs an annual literary festival which features readings, discussions, workshops and performances. NELM also hosts an annual book fair which showcases books from local and international publishers.