The Celtic origins of Halloween
Thursday 31 October 2019
Listen to an interview and read an article about the Celtic origins of this festival.
Thursday 31 October 2019
Listen to an interview and read an article about the Celtic origins of this festival.
Monday 7 October 2019
Poet, essayist and novelist Sue Wootton will travel to Menton, in the south of France, next year to work on her sixth poetry collection – but first she has a PhD and second novel to finish.
Monday 7 October 2019
Best selling Scottish crime writer Val McDermid has sold more than 15 million copies of her work worldwide. She's arrived in New Zealand to take up a role as a visiting Professor of Scottish Studies and Crime Fiction at the University of Otago.
Monday 7 October 2019
Scottish “queen of crime” Val McDermid on having a stab at Otago.
Thursday 3 October 2019
Halloween may now be perceived by many people as an American event but in fact, Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, is a Celtic festival that originated as Samhain.
Wednesday 11 September 2019
Popular Canadian magazine Celtic Life International carried a feature on CISS's Celtic Noir festival in its October 2019 issue.
Wednesday 11 September 2019
CISS Co-Director, Professor Liam McIlvanney was recently invited to choose his favourite books, films and TV shows on Radio NZ's 'Bookmarks' slot.
Wednesday 11 September 2019
To mark its tenth anniversary, the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies is partnering with the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival and the Dunedin City Library to present 'Celtic Noir 2019', a festival of Irish, Scottish and New Zealand crime fiction.
Thursday 1 August 2019
The Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies is launching a new Irish Film Night five-film series this month.
Wednesday 5 June 2019
It may be a long way from the grimy back streets of Glasgow or Edinburgh, where many of their victims fall prey to foul play, but there’s no doubt “tartan noir” crime writing is in good health at the University of Otago.
Tuesday 4 June 2019
Majella is a creative writing PhD student in the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies.
Monday 4 March 2019
To mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the University of Otago, the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies is sponsoring a series of public lectures on ‘Great Scots: Otago Men and Women Who Shaped New Zealand.’
Tuesday 5 February 2019
Professor Liam McIlvanney is one of two recipients of the 2019 New Zealand Society of Authors Waitangi Day Honours.
Monday 4 February 2019
Majella Cullinane's debut novel The Life of De'Ath and Vincent O'Sullivan's book All This by Chance are in the running for the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize.
Wednesday 30 January 2019
Professor Peter Kuch, the inaugural Eamon Cleary Professor of Irish Studies, has retired from the position he has held since 2006.
Monday 16 December 2019
Thursday 7 November 2019
Sunday 3 November 2019
Thursday 31 October 2019
Wednesday 30 October 2019
Tuesday 29 October 2019
Thursday 10 October 2019
Wednesday 9 October 2019
Sunday 6 October 2019
Wednesday 18 September 2019
Wednesday 4 September 2019
Sunday 1 September 2019
Wednesday 7 August 2019
Sunday 4 August 2019
Sunday 7 April 2019
Thursday 21 March 2019
Sunday 3 March 2019
Sunday 3 February 2019
"Whaur Extremes Meet": A Tale of Two Burnses in Early Otago, Professor Liam McIlvanney (Stuart Chair, Scottish Studies, Otago), 29 May 2018
For Honest Poverty: Robert Burns and the poetry of the early New Zealand Labour movement, Dr Dougal McNeill (Victoria University of Wellington), 30 November 2016
Scotland, Independence and the Ethics of Nationalism: Post-Referendum Reflections, Dr Doug Gay (University of Glasgow), 5 September 2016
"Film and Irish Revolution." This talk explored cinema relating to the 1916 uprising and War of Independence, and considered British and Republican views of the period and films made in subsequent decades, Professor Kevin Rockett, 17 August 2016
The Los Angelesation of Ireland: Censorship, Culture and Film from the 1910s to the 1970s, Professor Kevin Rockett, 16 August 2016
"The Panorama and Ireland." This powerpoint presentation focused on picture-going in Ireland prior to the invention of cinema, Emer Rockett, 10 August 2016
New Zealand premiere screening of the Keough-Naughton Institute of Irish Studies (University of Notre Dame) documentary 1916 The Irish Rebellion was held at the Auckland War Museum – Professor Judith Fox, Professor Chris Fox, Briona Nic Dhiarmada (from the Keough-Naughton Institute) and University of Otago Eamon Cleary Professor of Irish Studies Peter Kuch, 21 June 2016
'Murder in the Library'– A panel of crime writers, Vanda Symon, Paddy Richardson, Matt McGuire, Jane Woodham, 11 May 2016
The national longing for form: from Scotland to Ireland, Ian Rankin to Seamus Heaney, Dr Matthew McGuire (University of Western Sydney), 10 May 2016
Conference – Yet no clear fact to be discerned': the New Zealand response to the 1916 Easter Rising, 22–23 March 2016
Visit of the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, 1 Oct 2007
Inaugural Professorial Lecture: Thinking about Irish Studies, Professor Peter Kuch, Eamon Cleary Chair and Director, Irish Studies programme, 20 Aug 2008
Literary Resurrectionism: Bringing Walter Scott's Texts Back From the Grave, Professor Graham Tulloch (Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia), 7 October 2009
What is Scottish Literature Doing in Australia?, Professor Graham Tulloch (Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia), 8 October 2009
Ten Years of the Scottish Parliament: The Evolution of Devolution, Alex Fergusson, MSP (Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament), 22 October 2009
Scotland and Empire, 1707-53: Securing the Union?, Professor Allan I. Macinnes (University of Strathclyde, Scotland), 16 November 2009
Debating the Highland Clearances, Professor Eric Richards (Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia), 25 January 2010
Immigration to Australia Since 1901, Professor Eric Richards (Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia), 26 January 2010
Transnational Tartanism, Professor Ian McKay (Queen's University, Canada), 8 March 2010
Eddi Reader in Conversation, Eddi Reader, 17 March 2010
Visit of Ali Bowden, Director of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, 6 May 2010
Formal Opening of the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies, 8 June 2010
The Gaelic Culture in Nova Scotia – concert and talk, Friday 11 June 2010
Scottish Gaelic Workshops, 11 June 2010
Reading from award-winning Scottish crime writer Val McDermid of her novel Trick of the Dark, 21 August 2010
Poetry and Science: Not So Different?, Iggy McGovern (Trinity College, Dublin), 14 September 2010
Imagining Scotland and the Scottish Diaspora, Professor Liam McIlvanney (Stuart Professor of Scottish Studies, University of Otago), 13 October 2010
Genealogy Workshop: 'Routes to the Roots' of your Scottish ancestry, Professor Marjory Harper (University of Aberdeen), 24 November 2010
Voices from the Scottish Diaspora, Professor Marjory Harper (University of Aberdeen), 25 November 2010
Joanna Baillie: A Scottish Playwright in 19th-century London, Dr Thomas McLean (University of Otago), 26 November 2010
Dead Man's Ember': James K. Baxter and Robert Burns: A one-day symposium exploring James K. Baxter's imaginative engagement with the poetry and personality of Robert Burns, 30 November 2010
A New Approach to the Origins of Medieval Scotland, Professor Dauvit Broun (University of Glasgow), 7 Feburary 2011
Global Scots symposium, 23–24 February 2011
Modern Scottish Poetry and Paintings: Arts of Resistance, Professor Alan Riach (University of Glasgow), 28 February 2011
The Scottish Wars of Independence, Professor Edward J. Cowan (University of Glasgow), 1 March 2011
The Polar Twins: Scottish History versus Scottish Literature in the Study of the Diaspora, Professor Edward J. Cowan (University of Glasgow) and Professor Alan Riach (University of Glasgow), 1 March 2011
Poetry reading, Professor Alan Riach (University of Glasgow), 2 March 2011
Louis MacNeice among the Islands, Professor John Kerrigan (University of Cambridge), 14 March 2011
"By Crish Law" and "By Jeshu": Binding Language in Henry V, Professor John Kerrigan (University of Cambridge), 15 March 2011
Devolution and the Diaspora, Dr Duncan Sim (University of the West of Scotland), 21 July 2011
Northern Irish Addresses? Form and Language in Kathleen Jamie, Don Paterson and Other Contemporary Scottish Poets, Dr John McAuliffe (University of Manchester), 15 September 2011
The Islands of Scotland: Life on the Edge, Dr Colleen Batey (University of Glasgow), 29 September 2011
Devolution: The Story So Far and Scotland’s Constitutional Future, Professor Tom Mullen (University of Glasgow), 19 October 2011
‘In Search of Scotland’ Exhibition, Special Collections, de Beer Gallery, 30 September to 16 December 2011
Unveiling of plaque on Robert Burns statue, Professor T. M. Devine (University of Edinburgh), 19 November 2011
The "Death" and Reinvention of Scotland, Professor T. M. Devine (University of Edinburgh), 19 November 2011
The Lowland Clearances and the Scottish Exodus to New Zealand, Professor T. M. Devine (University of Edinburgh), 21 November 2011
Unveiling of the Dunedin-Edinburgh stone, esplanade reserve beside Waters of Leith, Ravensbourne Road, Professor T. M. Devine (University of Edinburgh), November 2011
The Puzzle of Scottish Sectarianism, Professor T. M. Devine (University of Edinburgh), 22 November 2011
Reading by Alistair MacLeod, 29 November 2011
Holding Fast: From Scotland to the New World, 1791-2011, Alistair MacLeod, 30 November 2011
Scotland's Radical Exports: How Scots Abroad Shaped Politics and Trade Unions, Pat Kelly, 29 February 2012
Robert Burns in the 21st Century, Professor Gerard Carruthers (University of Glasgow), 21 August 2012
The Unspeakable Scot: The Image of the Scot in the Media, Professor Gerard Carrurthers (University of Glasgow), 23 August 2012
Ireland and Scotland: From Partition to Peace Process, Professor Graham Walker (Queen's University Belfast), 7 November 2012
Debate chaired by Dougal Stevenson: 'An Irish Identity is Better than a Scottish Identity' (Team Ireland v Team Scotland), 8 November 2012
Reading with Ian Rankin, 14 November 2012
A Celebration of John Buchanan: New Zealand Artist, Botanist & Explorer, 29-30 November 2012
Perceptions of Empire in Inter-war Scotland: Alliances, Trade and Friendship between the British Commonwealth of Nations, Dr Esther Breitenbach (University of Edinburgh), 21 February 2013
Landscapes of Care: Uncovering the Locational Histories of Scotland's Lunatic Asylums, Kim Ross (University of Glasgow), 18 April 2013
Benjamin Britten and Scots Song, Professor Liam McIlvanney (University of Otago), 19 April 2013
Places that history can’t reach: using literature to reconstruct obscure lives in nineteenth-century rural Scotland, Professor Rod Edmond (University of Kent in Canterbury), 14 May 2013
The Great Cover Up: Ladies' Pipe Bands in the British World, Erin Grant (University of Otago), 29 May 2013
Reading by Doug Johnstone, 28th August 2013
Limits of the Visible: Representing the Great Irish Famine, Professor Luke Gibbons, 5 Sept 2013
Remembering Seamus, The Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies hosted a ‘wake’ for Seamus Heaney, 9 Sept 2013
Joycean Worlds' Conference, 3-6 October 2013
Panel Discussion on Scottish Independence, 26 November 2013
The Scottish Referendum: A Question of Conscience, Professor Will Storrar (Centre of Theological Inquiry, Princeton), 28 November 2013
Robbie Rocks Dunedin: Robert Burns Song Competition 2014 (in partnership with Toitu Otago Settlers Museum), 2014
Introduction to Gaelic Language, An immersive course in Scottish Gaelic for beginners, 3-8 February 2014
Scotland's Choice: The Referendum on Independence, Michael Russell MSP, 25 March 2014
Robert Louis Stevenson and the South Seas, Professor Joseph Farrell (University of Strathclyde), 16 April 2014
An Evening with Adrian McKinty, 30 April 2014
Poetry, Politics and Patronage: Editing Robert Burns's Scottish Tour for the new Oxford Edition, Professor Nigel Leask (University of Glasgow), 6 May 2014
"Sung Versions of Pastoral": Robert Burns's Songs of Love and Courtship, Professor Nigel Leask (University of Glasgow), 8 May 2014
Janice Galloway in conversation with Liam McIlvanney, 10 May 2014
Scottish Symposium on Robert Burns, Professor Michael Schmidt (University of Glasgow); Dr Peter Matheson; Professor Lawrence Jones; Professor Liam McIlvanney, 3 September 2014
Is Dunedin Still a Scottish City? – Panel discussion, Prof Liam McIlvanney; Mayor Dave Cull; Seán Brosnahan (Toitū Otago Settlers Museum curator), 3 September 2014
Kirsty Gunn in conversation with Vincent O’Sullivan, 13 October 2014
Yeats, Heaney & Pastoral, Bernard O'Donoghue, 1 Oct 2015
The Art of Citizenship: The Role of Artists in the Scottish Independence Referendum, Professor Will Storrar (Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton), 2015
Rēweti Kōhere and Ropata Purana: Reading Robert Burns in Te Reo Māori, Dr Nikki Hessell (Victoria University of Wellington); Tai Ahu (Waikato and Te Paatu), 2015
“Sailing to an Island”: The poetry of Irish and Scottish islands, Dr Lucy Collins of University College, Dublin, 20 March 2015
Fighting for readers: Swift’s Dublin publishers in the 1750s, Emeritus Professor Andrew Carpenter of University College, Dublin, 17 March 2015