Mail Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies University of Otago PO Box 56 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand
Liam McIlvanney is the inaugural Stuart Professor of Scottish Studies and Co-Director of the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies. He holds degrees from the universities of Glasgow and Oxford. His research interests focus on modern Scottish literature, particularly the work of Robert Burns and the literature of the Scottish diaspora. His monograph, Burns the Radical, won the Saltire First Book Award in 2002. He is co-editor, with Gerard Carruthers, of the Cambridge Companion to Scottish Literature (2012), and has published on various aspects of eighteenth-century Scottish literature, Ulster-Scots poetry and contemporary Scottish fiction.
Professor McIlvanney is also a crime novelist. His first novel, All the Colours of the Town, was shortlisted for the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Fiction Award in 2010. His second novel, Where the Dead Men Go, won the 2014 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best New Zealand Crime Novel. His most recent novel, The Quaker, was a Times bestseller in the UK, won the 2018 McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year and was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Historical Dagger Award.
A patron of the Imprint Book Festival in his native East Ayrshire, Professor McIlvanney is an honorary member of Irvine Burns Club, and holds a Visiting Fellowship at the Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University of Glasgow and a Waitangi Day Literary Honour from the New Zealand Society of Authors. He serves on the advisory board of Studies in Scottish Literature and as an international advisor to the Scottish Historical Review Trust. His essays and reviews have appeared in the London Review of Books, the Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian and the Irish Times.
Research Supervision
Professor McIlvanney welcomes research proposals in the field of modern Scottish literature and culture. He particularly welcomes proposals in the following areas: the poetry and international reception of Robert Burns; Scottish diaspora writing; the Scottish novel; Scottish crime fiction. Professor McIlvanney also offers supervision, at both Masters and PhD level, in creative writing, with particular reference to crime fiction.
Postgraduate students
Current
Sara Brown (enrolled 2018, PhD), 'The impact of Scottish education policy on students attending National Centres of Excellence'
Sue Wootton (enrolled 2016, PhD in Creative Practice), 'Life sentences: states of paralysis and articulating recovery in literary prose'
Majella Cullinane (enrolled 2016, PhD in Creative Practice), 'The Colours of that Place: the fundamentals of setting in Colum McCann's short fiction'
Completed
Leila Crawford, 'Cultivating space and place: Seamus Heaney's landscape poetics'
Liam McIlvanney, The Quaker (London: HarperCollins, 2018) 387pp
Liam McIlvanney, 'Cancer of Empire: The Glasgow Novel Between the Wars', in British Literature in Transition, 1920-1940: Futility and Anarchy, ed. by Charles Ferrall and Dougal McNeill (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018), pp. 242-58
Liam McIlvanney, 'Scottish Poetry in the South Seas: John Barr at the Edge of the Map', Journal of Irish and Scottish Studies, 8.1 (2017), 5-31
Liam McIlvanney, 'The Visionary Voyages of Robert Burns', in Jacobitism, Enlightenment and Empire, 1680-1820, ed. by Allan I. Macinnes and Douglas J. Hamilton (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2014), pp. 173-91
Liam McIlvanney and Graham Tulloch, 'Sciascia and Rankin: Detective Fiction in Sicilian and Scottish Modes', in Scotland and Sicily: Where Extremes Meet, ed. by Graham Tulloch, Karen Agutter and Lucian D'Arcangeli (Leicester: Troubador, 2014), pp. 20-31
Liam McIlvanney, '“They Gang in Stirks and Come Out Asses”: Creative Writing and Scottish Studies', Studies in Scottish Literature, 40.1 (2014), 7-14
Liam McIlvanney, Where the Dead Men Go (London: Faber, 2013) 344pp
Liam McIlvanney, 'The Glasgow Novel', in The Cambridge Companion to Scottish Literature, ed. by Gerard Carruthers and Liam McIlvanney (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012), pp. 217-32
Liam McIlvanney, 'Poems Like Hand Grenades: Baxter, Burns and Bawdry', Journal of New Zealand Literature, 30 (2012), 29-51
Liam McIlvanney and Ray Ryan, eds, The Good of the Novel (London: Faber, 2011) 225pp
Publications
McIlvanney, L. (2022). The heretic. HarperCollins, 528p. [Novel].
Creative Work
MacDonald, C., Wilkie, B., Wallace, V., McIlvanney, L., Stenhouse, J., & Goldie, D. (2019, December). Scotland’s colony? To what extent was Otago a Scottish colony? How does Otago complicate our understanding of Scotland’s involvement in empire? Panel discussion at the Scotland's Colony? Rethinking Otago's Caledonian Connections Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
McDermid, V., McIlvanney, L., Tiernan, S. (October, 2019) Brexit and beyond: Boarders, backstops and Boris> MindJam. Yonder, Queenstown, New Zealand. [Public Discussion].
Other Research Output
McIlvanney, L. (2018). The quaker. London, UK: HarperCollins, 389p. [Novel].
Creative Work
McIlvanney, L. (2018). Cancer of empire: The Glasgow novel between the wars. In C. Ferrall & D. McNeill (Eds.), British literature in transition, 1920-1940: Futility and anarchy. (pp. 242-258). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781316535929.018
Chapter in Book - Research
McIlvanney, L. (2017). Special antipodean part issue. Scottish Literary Review, 9(2), vi-viii. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/article/678037
Journal - Research Other
McIlvanney, L. (2017). Troubles fiction too urgent and topical to be historical. Irish Times, (20 October). [Book Review].
Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles
McIlvanney, L. (2017, February). Imagining Scotland in the South Seas: A tale of two Burnses. Verbal presentation at the Family Ties Symposium: Exploring Kinship and Creative Production in Nineteenth-Century Britain, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
McIlvanney, L. (2014). The visionary voyages of Robert Burns. In A. I. Macinnes & D. J. Hamilton (Eds.), Jacobitism, enlightenment and empire, 1680-1820. (pp. 173-191). London, UK: Pickering & Chatto.
Chapter in Book - Research
McIlvanney, L., & Tulloch, G. (2014). Sciascia and Rankin: Detective fiction in Sicilian and Scottish modes. In G. Tulloch, K. Agutter & L. d'Arcangeli (Eds.), Sicily and Scotland: Where extremes meet. (pp. 20-31). Leicester, UK: Troubador.
Chapter in Book - Research
McIlvanney, L. (2014). 'They gang in stirks and come out asses': Creative writing and Scottish Studies. Studies in Scottish Literature, 40(1), 7-14.
Journal - Research Article
McIlvanney, L. (2014). Scottish poetry in the South Seas: John Barr at the edge of the map. Journal of Irish & Scottish Studies, 8(1), 5-31.
Journal - Research Article
McIlvanney, L. (2014, February). Creative writing and the canon: The Scottish experience. Verbal presentation at the Professing Creativity Conference: Teaching Creative Writing in Aotearoa, Wellington, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
McIlvanney, L. (2013). [Review of the book Robert Burns and friends: Essays by W. Ormiston Roy Fellows presented to G. Ross Roy]. Eighteenth-Century Scotland, 27, 41-42. [Book Review].
Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles
McIlvanney, L. (2013, July). The 'Global Turn' in Burns Studies. Keynote presentation at the Romantic Studies Association of Australasia (RSAA) Biennial Conference: Global Romanticism, Sydney, Australia.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
McIlvanney, L. (2013, June). Scottish poetry in the South Seas [George Watson Memorial Lecture]. Verbal presentation at the On the Edge Conference: Transitions, Transgressions, and Transformations in Irish and Scottish Studies, Vancouver, Canada.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
McIlvanney, L. (2013). Where the dead men go. London, UK: Faber & Faber, 344p. [Novel].
Creative Work
Carruthers, G., & McIlvanney, L. (Eds.). (2012). The Cambridge companion to Scottish literature. New York, NY: Cambridge University of Press, 301p.
Edited Book - Research
Carruthers, G., & McIlvanney, L. (2012). Introduction. In G. Carruthers & L. McIlvanney (Eds.), The Cambridge companion to Scottish literature. (pp. 1-10). New York, NY: Cambridge University of Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
McIlvanney, L. (2012). The Glasgow novel. In G. Carruthers & L. McIlvanney (Eds.), The Cambridge companion to Scottish literature. (pp. 217-232). New York, NY: Cambridge University of Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
McIlvanney, L. (2012). Poems like hand grenades: Baxter, Burns, and Bawdry. Journal of New Zealand Literature, 30, 29-51.
Journal - Research Article
McIlvanney, L. (2012). A lonely Orpheus [Review of the book The snake-haired muse: James K Baxter and classical myth]. New Zealand Books, 22(1), 19. [Book Review].
Journal - Research Other
McIlvanney, L., & McNeill, D. (2012). Watching a dead man's ember glow. Journal of New Zealand Literature, 30, 6-8. [Editorial].
Journal - Research Other
McIlvanney, L. (2012, November). The Glasgow background. Verbal presentation at the Celebration of John Buchanan FLS (1819-1898) Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
McIlvanney, L. (2012, September). 'On life’s rough ocean luckless starrr’d’: The visionary voyages of Robert Burns. Verbal presentation at the Romantic Voyagers - Voyaging Romantics Conference, Wellington, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
McIlvanney, L., & Ryan, R. (Eds.). (2011). The good of the novel. NY: Continuum International, 225p.
Edited Book - Research
McIlvanney, L., & Ryan, R. (2011). Introduction. In L. McIlvanney & R. Ryan (Eds.), The good of the novel. (pp. vii-xiv). NY: Continuum International.
Chapter in Book - Research
McIlvanney, L. (2011). [Review of the book Scottish literature]. Scottish Literary Review, 3(2), 262-264. [Book Review].
Journal - Research Other
McIlvanney, L. (2011, February). ″West awa' yonder″: Global connections in Glasgow fiction. Verbal presentation at the Centre for Irish & Scottish Studies Symposium on the History and Literature of the Scottish Diaspora: Global Scots, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
McIlvanney, L. (2011, July). Internal borders in Scott's Scottish fiction. Verbal presentation at the Ninth International Scott Conference: Walter Scott: Sheriff and Outlaw, Laramie, Wyoming.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
McIlvanney, L. (2010). Burns and the world [Editorial]. International Journal of Scottish Literature, 6(Spring/Summer). Retrieved from http://www.ijsl.stir.ac.uk/issue6/editorial.htm
Journal - Research Article
McIlvanney, L. (2010, November). Baxter, Burns and bawdry. Verbal presentation at the Centre for Irish Studies and Scottish Studies Symposium: 'Dead Man's Ember': James K. Baxter and Robert Burns, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
McIlvanney, L. (2010, October). Imagining Scotland and the Scottish diaspora. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Inaugural Professorial Lecture].
Other Research Output
McIlvanney, L. (2009). The coldest place on earth [Review of the book Brooklyn]. London Review of Books, 31(12), 11-12.
Journal - Research Other
McIlvanney, L. (2009). All the colours of the town. London, UK: Faber & Faber, 329p. [Novel].
Creative Work
McIlvanney, L. (2009, July). ″Dead man's ember″: James K. Baxter's Robert Burns. University of Otago Centre for Research on National Identity Seminar Series. Dunedin, New Zealand. [Public Seminar].
Other Research Output
McIlvanney, L. (2006). It started with the flutes. To Hell With Journals Edition A: North & South, 78-95.
Journal - Research Article
McIlvanney, L., & Ryan, R. (Eds.). (2005). Ireland and Scotland: Culture and society, 1700-2000. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts, 284p.
Edited Book - Research
McIlvanney, L. (2005). Across the narrow sea: The language, literature and politics of Ulster Scots. In L. McIlvanney & R. Ryan (Eds.), Ireland and Scotland: Culture and society, 1700-2000. (pp. 203-226). Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts.
Chapter in Book - Research
McIlvanney, L., & Ryan, R. (2005). Introduction. In L. McIlvanney & R. Ryan (Eds.), Ireland and Scotland: Culture and society, 1700-2000. (pp. 11-22). Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts.
Chapter in Book - Research
McIlvanney, L. (2005). Hugh Blair, Robert Burns, and the invention of Scottish literature. Eighteenth-Century Life, 29(2), 25-46.
Journal - Research Article
McIlvanney, L. (2002). The politics of narrative in the post-war Scottish novel. In Z. Leader (Ed.), On modern British fiction. (pp. 181-208). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
McIlvanney, L. (2001). The Scottish renaissance and the Irish invasion: Literary attitudes to Irishness in inter-war Scotland. Scottish Studies Review, 2(1), 77-89.
Journal - Research Article
McIlvanney, L. (1997). 'Sacred freedom': Presbyterian radicalism and the politics of Robert Burns. In K. Simpson (Ed.), Love and liberty: Robert Burns: A bicentenary celebration. (pp. 168-182). East Linton, UK: Tuckwell Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
McIlvanney, L. (1996). 'Why shouldna poor folk mowe': Bakhtinian folk humour in Burn's bawdry. Scottish Literary Review, 23(2), 43-53.
Journal - Research Article
