Writing Scottishness: Literature and the Shaping of Scottish National Identities

Scotland’s sense of national identity and cultural distinctiveness has long been articulated through its literature. These fourteen essays explore literary manifestations of Scottishness and examine the political, religious and cultural complexities, as well as the cross-national transfer of ideas, that have shaped Scottish writing and performance through the centuries. By analysing the works of canonical writers such as Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson alongside sometimes marginalised figures, including Gaelic-language poets and women novelists, this volume offers a comprehensive and diverse understanding of writing Scottishness. The collection draws not only on Scottish texts but also Scottish song culture, cinematic adaptations and literary walking trails to shed new light on the nation’s negotiation of its identity through its cultural creations.