Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Association for Scottish Literature

@asls.org.uk

8.1K followers 2.1K following 4.4K posts

Educational charity promoting the reading, writing, teaching & study of Scotland's literature & languages, past & present. https://asls.org.uk

asls.org.uk

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · Aug 27

A CHAOS OF LIGHT
New Writing Scotland 43
Ed. Kirstin Innes, Chris Powici & Niall O’Gallagher

“writing that unsettles and challenges, that questions assumptions…A rich, boisterous, tender, charming, angry, sorrowful, gleeful mix”

Available now from all good bookshops!
💙📚
asls.org.uk/publications...

New Writing Scotland 43

Edited by Kirstin Innes, Chris Powici & Niall O’Gallagher Published in: Paperback, 184 pages By: Association for Scottish Literature, Glasgow, August 2025 Price: £9.95 ISBN: 9781906841669 Cover image…

asls.org.uk

4 9 16

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 21m

“Before 1590, and again from 1720 onwards, witchcraft could be entertaining. Between, though, the anger, fear and hatred generated by witch-hunting took precedence. About two and a half thousand people died at the stake, and it wasn’t funny.”
#WyrdWednesday
www.thebottleimp.org.uk/2018/12/fant...

Fantasy and Humour in Scottish Witchcraft Literature - The Bottle Imp

Robert Burns’s Tam o’ Shanter, published in 1791, is the most famous Scottish poem about witches. In it, Burns narrates the drunken Tam’s comical encounter with a witches’ sabbat. The pacing is adroit...

www.thebottleimp.org.uk

2 8

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 1h

“Mony a time I have askit mysel’, why witches and warlocks should sell their sauls (whilk are their maist dear possessions)… and then I mind upon Tod Lapraik dancing a’ the hours by his lane in the black glory of his heart”

—Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Tale of Tod Lapraik”
#Scotstober #coincidence

It was joy was in the creature’s heart, the joy o’ hell, I daursay: joy whatever. Mony a time I have askit mysel’, why witches and warlocks should sell their sauls (whilk are their maist dear possessions) and be auld, duddy, wrunkl’t wives or auld, feckless, doddered men; and then I mind upon Tod Lapraik dancing a’ the hours by his lane in the black glory of his heart. Nae doubt they burn for it muckle in hell, but they have a grand time here of it, whatever!—and the Lord forgie us!

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 2h

“Allan Ramsay: Writing the Scots Enlightenment” went on display in the @natlibscot.bsky.social in Feb 2020. The exhibition illustrated Ramsay’s talent for verse & drama, & his influence in reviving the Scots language – this video shows some key highlights
#C18
6/6
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hz1...

Allan Ramsay: Writing the Scots Enlightenment

YouTube video by National Library of Scotland

www.youtube.com

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 2h

The Poetry and Drama of Allan Ramsay
Scotnotes Study Guides
by Craig Lamont & Brianna E. Robertson-Kirkland

Helping students at all levels to see a more comprehensive view of Ramsay’s life and work
5/6
asls.org.uk/publications...

Scotnote 44

Craig Lamont and Brianna E. Robertson-Kirkland Published in: Paperback By: Association for Scottish Literature, 2023 Price: £6.95 ISBN 9781906841553 Order from our bookshop Allan Ramsay (1684–1758) is...

asls.org.uk

1 1

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 2h

“Ramsay ‘transformed the genre of the pastoral drama by bending it in a more “realistic” direction’. This is where Ramsay enters a rather heated and complicated British context.”

—Craig Lamont unpacks Allan Ramsay’s THE GENTLE SHEPHERD
#C18
4/6
www.thebottleimp.org.uk/2023/11/clas...

‘Class’d with Tasso and Guarini’: Allan Ramsay’s The Gentle Shepherd - The Bottle Imp

Of Allan Ramsay’s many important works, The Gentle Shepherd (1725) remains his most revered. It was first performed in Edinburgh in 1729, going on to enjoy success across Scotland, England, North Amer...

www.thebottleimp.org.uk

1 1

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 2h

What 1725 Scottish play was called ‘the noblest pastoral’ by Robert Burns, inspired more than 40 paintings, & was performed throughout Scotland as late as the end of the 19th century? Steven Newman considers Allan Ramsay’s most famous work
#C18
3/6
euppublishingblog.com/2022/07/01/w...

Why You Should Read Allan Ramsay’s 'The Gentle Shepherd' -

Why You Should Read Allan Ramsay’s 'The Gentle Shepherd' a Q&A with Edinburgh University Press author, Steve Newman

euppublishingblog.com

1 1

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 2h

“Few figures of the Scottish Enlightenment tick as many boxes as Ramsay in the check-list of ‘enlightened’ activity”

Why is he not better known? Read Craig Lamont’s “Allan Ramsay & Edinburgh: Commemoration in the City of Forgetting” on @projectmuse.bsky.social
#C18
2/6
muse.jhu.edu/article/696246

Abstract
This article is a study of the memorials concerning the poet Allan Ramsay in Edinburgh. Ramsay, best known for his pastoral drama The Gentle Shepherd, has been largely neglected, or 'forgotten', in Edinburgh's 19th-century project of memorialisation. The Ramsay Monument in West Princes Street Gardens by John Steell is the rare exception. In order to understand the effect of this and other memorials I have examined bibliographical and periodical sources and set these against the longer tradition of commemorating Ramsay in the Pentlands area which we might call 'Gentle Shepherd Country'. I have also incorporated theories from memory studies, especially those particular to the study of memorials and 'cultural memory'. Finally, it will be shown that the late 19th-century fashion for medieval nostalgia and the very recent turn towards celebrating Robert Louis Stevenson during large scale UNESCO events have superseded the age of the Scottish Enlightenment with new 'images' of Edinburgh.

1 1

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 2h

Allan Ramsay (1684–1758) – poet, playwright, founder of modern #Scots writing, & with a claim to be the father of #Romanticism – was born #OTD, 15 Oct. A 🎂 🧵 …
#C18
1/6
🖼️ Allan Ramsay, 1684–1758, by William Aikman – Scottish National Portrait Gallery
www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-arti...

Portrait of Allan Ramsay (1684–1758), by William Aikman. Oil on canvas. Ramsay is clean-shaven, and looks out at the viewer with a half-smile. He wears a collarless dark green velvet coat, unbuttoned, and has an orange silk cloth wound about his head like an improvised turban.

1 4

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 2h

…or listen to these eerie tales of witches, warlocks, & demonic pacts online:

“Thrawn Janet”, read by Alan Bissett
“The Tale of Tod Lapraik”, read by James Robertson
“The Bottle Imp”, read by Louise Welsh
💙📚
3/3
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8YE...

Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Tale of Tod Lapraik"

YouTube video by ASL

www.youtube.com

1 1

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 2h

You can download our free ebook of “The Tale of Tod Lapraik” (also containing two other supernatural masterpieces by Robert Louis Stevenson, “Thrawn Janet” & “The Bottle Imp”) from our website …
💙📚
2/3
asls.org.uk/publications...

Strange Tales

Introduction by Jeremy Hodges Scots glossaries by Pauline Cairns Speitel Published in: PDF, ePUB and mobipocket To mark Robert Louis Stevenson Day 2013, the Association for Scottish Literary Studies…

asls.org.uk

1 1 3

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 2h

“Mony a time I have askit mysel’, why witches and warlocks should sell their sauls (whilk are their maist dear possessions) … and then I mind upon Tod Lapraik dancing a’ the hours by his lane in the black glory of his heart”

—RL Stevenson, “The Tale of Tod Lapraik”
#WyrdWednesday #Scotstober
1/3

1 1 13

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 3h

She is enchanting …

1 4

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 3h

A Curious Episode at Balquhidder: Placenames in the North & the Nackens
28 Oct @scotstorycentre.bsky.social – free, ticketed

Dr Robert Fell on how the folklore of Nackens (Scottish Gypsy Travellers) can give insights into Scotland’s history & place names
sisf.online.red61.co.uk/event/913:62...

Talks & Lectures
A Curious Episode at Balquhidder: Placenames in the North and the Nackens

Alan Bruford Memorial Lecture 2025

(Tue 28 Oct: 6pm)

Scottish place names and their origins are important. Join Dr Robert Fell to hear about the perspectives of Nackens (Scottish Gypsy Travellers) and how their folklore can give us unique insights into Scotland’s history and her place names. With special guest Shamus McPhee, who recounts a curious episode from Highland Perthshire that gave Balquhidder its name.

Presented in memory of Scottish scholar Alan Bruford, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh’s Department of Celtic and Scottish Studies.

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 3h

Possibly one for @sirbenfro.bsky.social

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 3h

“Highland cattle are peculiarly liable to be taken, or infected, by spells and witchcraft, which judicious people guard against by knitting knots of peculiar complexity on the tuft of hair which terminates the animal’s tail.”

—Sir Walter Scott, “The Two Drovers”
#WyrdWednesday
1/3

A windswept and interesting Highland cow, standing on a ridge of coarse grassy tussocks against a blue sky with white clouds. The cow has a coat of long, shaggy, reddish-brown hair, and two long upswept horns. The cow's hairy coat is being blown to the side by a stiff breeze, and its long hairy tail looks as if it's being blown that way too.

1 8

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 3h

Read Scott’s “The Two Drovers” in this free ebook, AS IT WAS TOLD TO ME: Three Short Stories by Sir Walter Scott, introduced by @profdanielcook.bsky.social – featuring

🪞 My Aunt Margaret’s Mirror
🐮🗡️ The Two Drovers
🐒🔥😈 Wandering Willie’s Tale

💙📚
3/3
asls.org.uk/publications...

As It Was Told to Me

Introduction by Daniel Cook By: Association for Scottish Literature, 2021 Published in: PDF, ePUB and Mobi Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) is chiefly remembered as one of the great historical novelists…

asls.org.uk

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 3h

The witch-proof plaits on cows’ tails are known as “St Mungo’s knots”:

“Robin Oig is no the lad to leave any of them without tying Saint Mungo’s knot on their tails, & that will put to her speed the best witch that ever flew over Dimayet upon a broomstick”

—Sir Walter Scott, “The Two Drovers”
2/3

1 1 4

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 3h

1 8 19

Reposted by Association for Scottish Literature

Paul Robichaud @pjrobichaud.bsky.social · 19h

Always pleased to get the annual volume from @asls.org.uk — this year’s looks great!

Cover of ‘Setting the Stage: New Wave Scottish Drama from the 1970s and 1980s.’

1 5

Reposted by Association for Scottish Literature

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 2d

SETTING THE STAGE
New Wave Scottish Drama from the 1970s & 1980s

Featuring 5 exciting & experimental playscripts:

White Rose (Peter Arnott)
Mary (Ian Brown)
Playing With Fire (Jo Clifford)
An Island in Largo (Sue Glover)
The Way to Go Home (Rona Munro)

#drama #theatre
asls.org.uk/publications...

Annual Volume 54 (2024)

Edited by Steven Cramer and John Corbett Paperback, 346 pages Association for Scottish Literature, September 2025 Price £19.95 ISBN: 9781906841652 Order from our bookshop These five plays address…

asls.org.uk

2 7

Reposted by Association for Scottish Literature

Nazaret Ranea @nazaretranea.bsky.social · 1d

Still buzzing that one of my favourite stories I’ve written found a home in the coolest mag 🦷

Extra Teeth @extrateethmag.bsky.social · 1d

🪹The Swallows 🪹by @nazaretranea.bsky.social

A tragedy brings our narrator closer to her unwanted companions. A story about leaving home, grief and solace in nature.

Read more in Extra Teeth Issue 9!

1 3 14

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 23h

“Iain Banks’s first novel, The Wasp Factory, is to be published the following February. Robert Crawford is still a postgraduate student […] David Kinloch is also still a postgraduate student and cites no previous publications”

Val Thornton on NWS at 40
www.thebottleimp.org.uk/2022/08/new-...

New Writing Scotland at 40 - The Bottle Imp

The timing could not have been better. The very first volume of New Writing Scotland in 1983, the purple one with the pale blue thistle on the front scattering white seeds of new writing, included my ...

www.thebottleimp.org.uk

Reposted by Association for Scottish Literature

commamonger 😷 (analogue writing assistant) @commamonger.bsky.social · 1d

A fellow punctuation-monger. 😍

The Public Domain Review @publicdomainrev.bsky.social · 1d

After complaints about Timothy Dexter's A Pickle for the Knowing Ones (1797) being entirely devoid of punctuation, in future editions the eccentric businessman supplied a supplemental page so that people “may peper and solt as they please”: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/dexter-pickle

2 7

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 23h

Zachary Boyd’s Books: Recovering a 17th-Century Scottish Library
21 Oct @uofglasgow.bsky.social & online – free

@profastreete.bsky.social has worked to reconstruct Boyd’s library, bequeathed to UofG – a new & substantial archive
#C17 #earlymodern #bookhistory
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/adrian-str...

Adrian Streete | Zachary Boyd's Books

Zachary Boyd’s Books: Recovering a Seventeenth Century Scottish Library

www.eventbrite.co.uk

4 11

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 1d

Kathleen Jamie & Don Paterson in Conversation with Chris Agee
29 Oct @byleaveswelive.bsky.social – £10

Ten years after the Independence Referendum, @irishpages.bsky.social asks Scottish writers to think about their country, & take stock of the current situation
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kathleen-j...

Kathleen Jamie and Don Paterson in Conversation with Chris Agee

Kathleen Jamie, Don Paterson and Chris Agee in conversation, on “Scotland”, the current brilliantly illuminating issue of Irish Pages

www.eventbrite.co.uk

1 4

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 1d

Us too!
asls.org.uk/schools/teac...

Teaching Notes

ASL Teaching Notes offer suggestions for teaching Scottish Literature and Language in the classroom. These notes are FREE to download – see the links below. Download printable versions of recent…

asls.org.uk

1 1