Written In Scotland

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Nationalism And Unionism

20210624

20210628 (R4)

A four-part series about the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Presented by Kirsty Wark. Episode 1 - Nationalism and Unionism.

How did the writers of Scotland respond to the Union with England? Kirsty looks at the way in which Scottish poets and novelists have uniquely and sometimes controversially reflected the political turmoil around them. She hears about James MacPherson, the poet who produced supposed translations of Ossian, claimed as an ancient Gaelic bard, which became a European sensation. Yet at the same time as the poems appeared, the Highland clan life the poems reflected was being destroyed as the Jacobite uprising of 1745 was put down, and James MacPherson himself ended his life as a wealthy Member of Parliament.

We also hear about Robert Burns, a proud Scottish nationalist, who castigated the 'powers that be of Scotland for being bought and sold for English gold' but who was also a government employee for the excise.

And on the other side of the coin, Sir Walter Scott was a proud supporter of the union with England who probably did more than anyone else to preserve Scotland's distinctiveness in writing.

Producer: Brian McCluskey

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

A four-part series on the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself.

Kirsty Wark looks at the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself.

Rural Scotland

20210701

A four-part series about the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Presented by Kirsty Wark. Episode 2 - Rural Scotland.

Scotland's scenery is a huge part of its appeal, but how writers use the natural world is imbued with politics. Do you depict the countryside realistically or sentimentally and what are the implications of this?

Kirsty Wark hears how JM Barrie paved his way to success with Peter Pan by sentimentalising his rural upbringing for the popular entertainment of a very urban readership. She also hears about M

Urban Scotland

20210708

20210712 (R4)

A four-part series about the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Presented by Kirsty Wark. Episode 3 - Urban Scotland.

Kirsty takes us through the literary rivalry of Scotland's two biggest cities.

Few cities have been imagined by its writers as successfully as Edinburgh - from Robert Louis Stevenson, to Muriel Spark and Ian Rankin, the city is truly a product of the imagination of people who have lived there.

Glasgow, by comparison, can seem neglected, yet the city gave the world Tartan Noir and in the years up to 2021 all of the Makars, or National Poets of Scotland, have been from Glasgow.

Producer: Brian McCluskey

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

A four-part series on the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself.

Kirsty Wark looks at the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself.

Language And Class

20210715

20210719 (R4)

A four-part series about the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Presented by Kirsty Wark. Episode 4 - Language and Class.

Kirsty demonstrates that the very language used by Scotland's writers is highly political. Poet Hugh MacDairmid's experiments in Scots sparked off a literary renaissance, and the political party he helped to found became the present day SNP, the party which currently governs the country. Scotland's two Booker Prize winning novelists, James Kelman and Douglas Stuart, both put language and class at the heart of their work.

Given that the current best sellers list for Scottish authors includes Ali Smith, Jackie Kay, Val McDermid, Jenni Fagan, AL Kennedy, Louise Welsh, Maggie O'Farrell and Denise Mina, we ask if Scotland is having a renaissance of women's writing.

Producer: Brian McCluskey

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

A four-part series on the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself.

Kirsty Wark looks at the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	Nationalism And Unionism	20210624	20210628 (R4)	A four-part series about the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Presented by Kirsty Wark. Episode 1 - Nationalism and Unionism. How did the writers of Scotland respond to the Union with England? Kirsty looks at the way in which Scottish poets and novelists have uniquely and sometimes controversially reflected the political turmoil around them. She hears about James MacPherson, the poet who produced supposed translations of Ossian, claimed as an ancient Gaelic bard, which became a European sensation. Yet at the same time as the poems appeared, the Highland clan life the poems reflected was being destroyed as the Jacobite uprising of 1745 was put down, and James MacPherson himself ended his life as a wealthy Member of Parliament. We also hear about Robert Burns, a proud Scottish nationalist, who castigated the 'powers that be of Scotland for being bought and sold for English gold' but who was also a government employee for the excise. And on the other side of the coin, Sir Walter Scott was a proud supporter of the union with England who probably did more than anyone else to preserve Scotland's distinctiveness in writing. Producer: Brian McCluskey A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4 A four-part series on the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Kirsty Wark looks at the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself.
02	Rural Scotland	20210701		A four-part series about the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Presented by Kirsty Wark. Episode 2 - Rural Scotland. Scotland's scenery is a huge part of its appeal, but how writers use the natural world is imbued with politics. Do you depict the countryside realistically or sentimentally and what are the implications of this? Kirsty Wark hears how JM Barrie paved his way to success with Peter Pan by sentimentalising his rural upbringing for the popular entertainment of a very urban readership. She also hears about M
03	Urban Scotland	20210708	20210712 (R4)	A four-part series about the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Presented by Kirsty Wark. Episode 3 - Urban Scotland. Kirsty takes us through the literary rivalry of Scotland's two biggest cities. Few cities have been imagined by its writers as successfully as Edinburgh - from Robert Louis Stevenson, to Muriel Spark and Ian Rankin, the city is truly a product of the imagination of people who have lived there. Glasgow, by comparison, can seem neglected, yet the city gave the world Tartan Noir and in the years up to 2021 all of the Makars, or National Poets of Scotland, have been from Glasgow. Producer: Brian McCluskey A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4 A four-part series on the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Kirsty Wark looks at the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself.
04	Language And Class	20210715	20210719 (R4)	A four-part series about the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Presented by Kirsty Wark. Episode 4 - Language and Class. Kirsty demonstrates that the very language used by Scotland's writers is highly political. Poet Hugh MacDairmid's experiments in Scots sparked off a literary renaissance, and the political party he helped to found became the present day SNP, the party which currently governs the country. Scotland's two Booker Prize winning novelists, James Kelman and Douglas Stuart, both put language and class at the heart of their work. Given that the current best sellers list for Scottish authors includes Ali Smith, Jackie Kay, Val McDermid, Jenni Fagan, AL Kennedy, Louise Welsh, Maggie O'Farrell and Denise Mina, we ask if Scotland is having a renaissance of women's writing. Producer: Brian McCluskey A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4 A four-part series on the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself. Kirsty Wark looks at the relationship that Scotland's writers have with Scotland itself.