Murray Pittock :
LightNews LightNews
banner
murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock :
@murrayp.bsky.social
1K followers 410 following 100 posts

Pro VP U.Glasgow, personal views and evidence-based judgements only. 'You think that a wall as solid as the earth separates civilization from barbarism. I tell you the division is a thread, a sheet of glass'-John Buchan. https://murraypittock.com .. more

Videos

Murray G. H. Pittock MAE FRSE is a Scottish historian and cultural and textual scholar. He holds the position of Bradley Professor of Literature at the University of Glasgow and serves as Pro Vice-Principal at the university, where he has occupied senior roles, including Dean and Vice-Principal, since 2008. He led the University's involvement in the Kelvin Hall redevelopment project in collaboration with the City of Glasgow and the National Library of Scotland (kelvinhall.org.uk), and since 2016 has chaired Glasgow's early career development programme, which has been considered influential across the sector. .. more

History 66%
Political science 12%
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Sep 19
Coming very soon now-a comprehensive single volume history of Scotland from brochs to Brexit with something for everyone from Old Street Publishing-with thanks to @willdalrymple.bsky.social for his assessment !

@sahavoice.bsky.social @broadcastscot.bsky.social
@asls.org.uk @iassl.bsky.social

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · 47m
Call for Papers for 5th World Congress of Scottish Literatures is out:pleased to be giving keynote,'Burns along the New Silk Road' @iassl.bsky.social @asls.org.uk @scroll-scotlit.bsky.social @sahavoice.bsky.social @glasgowburns.bsky.social @paulinemackay.bsky.social scotlit-iassl.org/2025/11/11/c...
Call for Papers: 5th World Congress of Scottish Literatures: Scotland Along the New Silk Road (17-20 June 2027)
The Fifth World Congress of Scottish Literatures will be held at Nanjing Normal University in Nanjing, China, on 17-20 June 2027. Being China’s first city designated as a “UNESCO City of Literature…
scotlit-iassl.org

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · 1d
Call for Papers: 'Regional Perspectives, Planetary Reach. Themes, Genres, Forms of Narration in Contemporary Irish and Scottish Fiction', 28-29 May 2026, Università di Napoli L'Orientale. Deadline for proposals: 10 January 2026. @iassl.bsky.social @asls.org.uk
sites.google.com/view/irsconf...

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · 5d
Next instalment of @univ-amu.fr @uofg-civis.bsky.social seminar on Scottish Literature due on 13 November on Poetry and Public Life in Scotland @sahavoice.bsky.social @asls.org.uk @iassl.bsky.social lerma.univ-amu.fr/contemporary...
CIVIS Seminar on contemporary Scottish Literature – LERMA
Title: What is the future of now? Universities involved: Aix Marseille University (Prof. Marie Hedon) Glasgow University (Dr Corey Gibson) University of Lausanne (Prof Kirsten Stirling) 2024-25: The p...
lerma.univ-amu.fr

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · 5d
Pleased to help out by joining the advisory board @registry.scot - we are already setting the pace at @sahavoice.bsky.social & @scga.bsky.social with .scot. More than worth considering to preserve & promote the brand @keepscotlandbrand.bsky.social

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · 8d
New Empire Club podcast on 'John Buchan, the 39 Steps and Scottish Imperialism' @sahavoice.bsky.social @scga.bsky.social @asls.org.uk @iassl.bsky.social @scotunipress.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/e...
Empire Club: John Buchan, The 39 Steps, & Scottish Imperialism
Podcast Episode · Empire · 03/11/2025 · Bonus · Subscribers Only · 34m
podcasts.apple.com

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · 9d
Delighted that @guyverhofstadt.bsky.social 's gift at tonight's
@euromovescotland.bsky.social dinner is my @yalepress.bsky.social Scotland:the Global History. Here signing it with Bill Rodger @sahavoice.bsky.social @iassl.bsky.social @asls.org.uk

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · 15d
New blog on new @eassh.bsky.social website on Arts, Humanities, Industry and the Economy: eassh.eu/Blog/2025/Ar...
Arts, Humanities, Industry and the Economy - EASSH
eassh.eu

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · 26d
Quotes from reviews of Collected Ramsay: ‘could hardly be surpassed' (Tea-Table Miscellany)
'deeply nuanced and illuminating’ (Gentle Shepherd);
‘exemplary’ (Ever Green, Prose)
‘groundbreaking’ (edition). Well done @stevenewman.bsky.social @rhonabrown.bsky.social @breerob-kirk.bsky.social & all.
asls.org.uk Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 27d
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.

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · 26d
Tomorrow in Paris- preparing for the Pix sale at ADER auctions and speaking on the politics of textiles, medals, and of course-glass @iassl.bsky.social @sahavoice.bsky.social @asls.org.uk

Reposted by Murray Pittock

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

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Oct 10
Looking forward to supporting ADER auctions in Paris to sell the magnificent Pix collection for the benefit of @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk . Unravelling the mysteries of Jacobite glass in Paris next Thursday @sahavoice.bsky.social @whitegoldsword1708.bsky.social @funkyplaid.bsky.social

Reposted by Murray Pittock

iassl.bsky.social
International Association for the Study of Scottish Literatures @iassl.bsky.social · Oct 9
Call for Papers: 18th International Conference on Medieval and Renaissance Scottish Language, Literature, and Culture, 1-4 July 2026, University of Bristol. Submission deadline: 14 November 2025. icmrsllc2026.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/call-for-pap...

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Oct 5
30 years this month since the 1st edition of The Myth of the Jacobite Clans was published & it still sells a fair number of copies every year. Thanks to all who read & understood its challenge to the framing of the '45, advancing data on the scale & nature of recruitment &opposition to the Union.

Reposted by Murray Pittock

asls.org.uk
Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · Oct 1
John Buchan: A Man For Our Time?

Prof @murrayp.bsky.social discusses John Buchan – a literary legend & a man ahead of his time on issues from Scottish nationalism to the rights of indigenous peoples. Recorded at the 2025 Beyond Borders International Festival.
💙📚
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5zP...
John Buchan: A Man For Our Time? - BBIF 2025
YouTube video by Beyond Borders Scotland
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Murray Pittock

keepscotlandbrand.bsky.social
Keep Scotland the Brand @keepscotlandbrand.bsky.social · Sep 28
#Tartan is an iconic and instantly recognisable part of Scotland’s culture and heritage.

This petition demands important and long-overdue legal protections to Scottish textiles and designs - although the Lowlands also should be included

#keepScotlandtheBrand

petition.parliament.uk/signatures/1...
Petition: Pass an act for tartan woven in the Highlands, similar to Harris Tweed Act 1993
Create an act that legally recognises tartan cloth woven in the Highland region following the precedent set by the Harris Tweed Act 1993. A Highland-based authority could be established to manage the ...
petition.parliament.uk

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Sep 27
Beyond Borders: my Buchan at 150 discussion-thanks to a great Festival for posting! John Buchan: A Man For Our Time? youtu.be/Z5zPRJt1Hdg?... via @YouTube
John Buchan: A Man For Our Time?
YouTube video by Beyond Borders Scotland
youtu.be

Reposted by Murray Pittock, Claire Connolly

irishhumanities.bsky.social
Irish Humanities Alliance @irishhumanities.bsky.social · Sep 26
A strong start to our Irish Scottish Cultural and Diplomatic Relations event @ria.ie with Prof @murrayp.bsky.social of @sahavoice.bsky.social

Reposted by Murray Pittock

iassl.bsky.social
International Association for the Study of Scottish Literatures @iassl.bsky.social · Sep 25
A talk by IASSL member Fernando Toda @usaloficial.bsky.social on the translations of Barbour's Bruce and Hary's Wallace into Spanish: 2 October, 5:30 UK time, in person at @uofglasgow.bsky.social & online. Book your free ticket!
La libertad es una cosa noble: Bruce and Wallace translated into Spanish
A talk by Fernando Toda of the University of Salamanca, exploring the translations of Barbour's Bruce and Hary's Wallace into Spanish.
www.eventbrite.co.uk

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Sep 25
Tomorrow in Dublin, delighted to be introducing this event with @sahavoice.bsky.social in collaboration with the Irish Humanities Alliance at the Royal Irish Academy to mark the completion of the first phase of the Bilateral Framework between the Irish and Scottish governments

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Sep 4
The second most downloaded BBC prog, a live audience in millions, which ran for 1000 episodes, was almost entirely-if not entirely-populated by academics with no media training. Think about it and the resources wasted unravelling a mystery that a competent BBC researcher can determine in minutes.
robertsaunders.bsky.social Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · Sep 4
Lovely to hear Melvyn Bragg talking about the big idea behind "In Our Time": to get academics on the air, talking about the subjects they were most passionate & knowledgeable about, without worrying about whether they had "media training".

It's remarkable that this was (& remains) such an odd idea!

Reposted by Murray Pittock, Michael H. Whitworth, Morwenna Ludlow

robertsaunders.bsky.social
Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · Sep 4
Lovely to hear Melvyn Bragg talking about the big idea behind "In Our Time": to get academics on the air, talking about the subjects they were most passionate & knowledgeable about, without worrying about whether they had "media training".

It's remarkable that this was (& remains) such an odd idea!

Reposted by Murray Pittock

sahavoice.bsky.social
Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance (SAHA) @sahavoice.bsky.social · Sep 2
The event will feature a panel on ‘Culture, collaboration and diaspora', followed by a presentation of exceptional research projects funded by the Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Network Grants.

@murrayp.bsky.social @sonjatiernan.bsky.social ‪ @brirechamber.bsky.social

Programme and tickets 👇
Hybrid event: Irish-Scottish cultural diplomacy and relations | SAHA: The Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance
A joint initiative of Scottish Higher Education institutions, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities.
saha.scot

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Aug 28
Congratulations to @poncarova.bsky.social that An Staran: Rosg Gàidhlig le Ruaraidh MacThòmais from Acair is on the shortleet for the Meek Prize in this year's Gaelic literature awards-surely the first time a Czech has appeared thus far! @iassl.bsky.social @asls.org.uk @sahavoice.bsky.social

Reposted by Murray Pittock

iassl.bsky.social
International Association for the Study of Scottish Literatures @iassl.bsky.social · Aug 26
John Buchan was born on 26 August 1875 #OTD in Perth. To mark the anniversary, @uofglasgow.bsky.social hosted earlier this year a lecture by IASSL trustee @murrayp.bsky.social, who has also written on Buchan for our latest newsletter.
Lecture: tinyurl.com/4dhnta72
Newsletter: tinyurl.com/6sf56zxx
Murray Pittock: The John Buchan 150 Lecture
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
tinyurl.com

Reposted by Murray Pittock

alannamactavish.bsky.social
Alanna MacTavish @alannamactavish.bsky.social · Aug 24
First time at the Beyond Borders Festival at Traquair House—left inspired. From @murrayp.bsky.social on John Buchan’s enduring relevance to @humzayousaf.bsky.social with William Dalrymple & Afif Safieh on Gaza, the call to reflect & act was unforgettable. 🔗 bbintfest.com/events/curre...

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Aug 21
saha.scot/vive-le-frin... Vive le Fringe! A corner of France in the heart of Edinburgh @sahavoice.bsky.social
Vive le Fringe! A corner of France in the heart of Edinburgh | SAHA: The Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance
A joint initiative of Scottish Higher Education institutions, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities.
saha.scot

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Aug 19
No livestream. but often on YouTube afterwards

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Aug 19
Good to find Culloden in '10 Scottish History books you need on your shelf' this week !

scotlands-stories.com/10-scottish-...

murrayp.bsky.social
Murray Pittock : @murrayp.bsky.social · Aug 18
On Saturday I will be opening the formal side of the magnificent Beyond Borders Festival at Traquair in conversation with Geoffrey Baskerville on John Buchan at 150, focusing on Buchan's fiction and his political writings & beliefs about empire, Scotland & Zionism. bbintfest.com/events/curre...
Festival Programme - Beyond Borders Festival
bbintfest.com