As if he did not have enough to do, we have Stuart Kelly of ‘The Browser’ fame as our reader in residence.

Stuart Kelly

Reader-in-Residence

We believe good readers make good writers – and to demonstrate this, we’ve invented the position of Reader-in-Residence for the Edinburgh Napier MA in Creative Writing.  We’re delighted to welcome Scotland’s leading bibliophile, Stuart Kelly, who has agreed to give up valuable browsing time to pilot the Reader-in-Residence scheme for our first year.

Stuart will take up residence in the Writers’ Room one afternoon a week, and will be available to chat about what you’re writing, what you’re reading, and how the two can best relate.  He will provide inspiring suggestions, tailor-made recommendations, and research expertise to help you source any difficult-to-find books.  He will also be available for consultation by email.

About Stuart Kelly

Stuart Kelly is the Literary Editor of Scotland on Sunday and the author of The Book of Lost Books, a history of literature through the looking-glass that describes works that were destroyed, left incomplete or never got beyond the planning stage. He has also written introductions to John Buchan’s Midwinter, Sir Walter Scott’s The Highland Widow and the Scottish Government’s Discovering Scottish Literature; and essays on Alasdair Gray, Kenneth White’s Geopoetics and the dire lack of Scottish decadence. He has reviewed over 2000 titles, including works of poetry, novels of all genres, short stories, graphic novels, memoirs, anthologies, biographies, polemics, histories, popular science, literary theory, critical studies, essays and non-fiction titles on subjects as diverse as Chinese politics, darts, how the discovery of the cure for cholera relates to social networking, the history of the image of Napoleon, the invention of colour and eighteenth century sex clubs. He is a regular guest on BBC Radio Scotland’s Book Café, and has presented documentaries on Disraeli and Pictish Gospels, as well as appearing on BBC4 and STV, and Newsnight Scotland.

Stuart says:

“Everyone in the book trade knows that the best recommendation is word of mouth. I’m delighted to be able to share my expertise with the inaugural year of Edinburgh Napier MA Creative Writing students, especially since I’m sure they will leave me with a must-read list as well. Reader-in-Residence seems a very grand title for what is essentially the wonderful chance to enthuse and be enthused.”