Words At Large

It’s a new chapter in Scotland’s political history: in May 2007, the pro-independence Scottish National Party, which has been campaigning for almost 70 years to end the country’s union with England, won parliamentary elections. In the first of a three-part series called Re-writing History: Scotland’s New Century, Eleanor Wachtel interviews three leading Scottish writers about the push for self-determination, and how a Scottish “state of mind” is expressed in their own work.

Her guests were crime writer Ian Rankin, whose Inspector Rebus mysteries are popular worldwide; novelist James Robertson, who runs a publishing company that specializes in children’s books written in the Scots language; and Liz Lochhead, a Glasgow poet and playwright known for her wit and wordplay.

The authors discussed how the country’s rich storytelling traditions influenced their writing, and offered their thoughts on the drive for political independence.

Ian Rankin and James Robertson joined Eleanor Wachtel in studio in Edinburgh in August 2007, during the Edinburgh International Book Festival, while Liz Lochhead spoke from Glasgow. Listen to their conversation here:

First aired on Writers & Company. [runs 51:50]

Through the summer, different episodes of Writers & Company will air on Sundays and Thursdays. On August 7, listen to an interview with Simon Schama, a professor of history and art history at Columbia University. His many works on history and art include Rembrandt's Eyes (Knopf), Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution (Vintage) and Rough Crossings (Penguin).