Robert Crawford, professor of modern Scottish literature & Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Poetry, University of St Andrews

Responding to the result of the Scottish Independence Referendum of 18 September 2014, Robert Crawford reflects on the significance of this constitutional landmark in the history of the United Kingdom. As well as considering what Britishness means when viewed from present-day Scotland and from England, this talk will pay particular attention to the way ideals of Britishness, of Englishness, and of Scottishness have been articulated over the centuries in imaginative writing—from medieval epics and Shakespeare's Macbeth to twenty-first century poetry and fiction.

Robert Crawford was born in Lanarkshire, near Glasgow, in Scotland in 1959. He has published seven collections of poetry and many non-fiction volumes, including Scotland's Books (OUP, 2009), The Bard (Princeton UP, 2009), and On Glasgow and Edinburgh (Harvard UP, 2013). He lives on the east coast of Scotland where he is Professor of Modern Scottish Literature and Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Poetry at the University of St Andrews. His most recent book is the poetry collection, Testament (Jonathan Cape, 2014).

While at the University of Michigan from October 27-29, Crawford will give public presentations about T. S. Eliot and the Scottish Independence Referendum, and will deliver a poetry reading.

Part of the lecture series, "New Challenges Facing Europe," which will focus on the critical developments and challenges facing Europe, such as the resurgence of the far Right, the ongoing financial crisis, and nationalist and separatist movements. The series was made possible by a generous donation from Rodger Young.