A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle

Join us for a special event marking the centenary of Hugh MacDiarmid's landmark poem, ‘A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle’. Join us for a special event marking the centenary of Hugh MacDiarmid's landmark poem, ‘A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle’. Published in 1926, this 2,685-line work is written in a Scots that is colloquial, lyrical, and highly literary. It blends tradition with modernism and explores both national and international themes. Hardly noticed at first, the poem has since gained the status of a masterpiece. But what was MacDiarmid saying about Scotland and its cultural and political place in the world? How do his ideas resonate a century later? The event features a talk on the poem's creation, supported by images and audio clips. Editors Alan Riach, James Robertson, and Jim Mackintosh will discuss key features of the work. There will be short readings from the original poem and from their new response volume, ‘Ayont the Thistle’, which contains over 70 essays and poems. The event will conclude with an audience Q&A. About the speakers Alan Riach is Professor of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow. James Robertson is a writer and novelist. Jim Mackintosh is a poet. When you book an event, your personal information will be held and used by the National Library of Scotland and our third-party suppliers for the purposes of allowing you to attend the event and for audience research. For more information, visit the National Library of Scotland privacy pages, in particular the events notice and feedback and complaints notice. We expect attendees to behave respectfully towards presenters, guests and other audience members.