Wednesday, 8 March, 2023, at 4:30pm in 40GS, Room #LG11. In his Baillie Gifford Prize-winning Blood Legacy: Reckoning with a Family’s Story of Slavery, Alex Renton goes on a disturbing journey through his family archive, which yields up a horrific—yet not uncommon—story about his Fergusson ancestors’ involvement in Caribbean plantations where they owned, bought, and […]

Monday 13 February, 2023, 5:00-6:00pm, with reception to follow. G.01, ground floor, 50 George Square. A conversation on writing lives with the brilliant biographer and critic Frances Wilson. Frances Wilson has written exhilarating biographies, as daring as they are elegant, with remarkable historical range, which all raise questions and shape new possibilities for the forms of life-writing. In […]

Friday 17 February, 2023, 10.00-11.30am, Project Room, first floor, 50 George Square. Launching the James Tait Black Memorual Prize Visiting Writers Programme, an opportunity to participate in a masterclass with the renowned biographer, critic and literary artist Frances Wilson, discussing her work towards a new biography of Muriel Spark. Limited to 16 students, postgraduates, and/or doctoral […]

Thursday, 8 December, 2022, 4.00-5.00pm, in the Centre for Research Collections Seminar Room, 6th floor, University of Edinburgh Main Library. A one-hour Edinburgh Life-Writing Network research-in-progress panel, proposed and with presentations by Edinburgh doctoral researchers and James Tait Black Biography Prize readers, Aiswarya Jayamohan and Maxime Geervliet, followed by discussion. Aiswarya Jayamohan: “stupid and gauche […]

2-3pm, Thursday, 11 November, 2021 from 2-3pm in the Project Room, 50 George Square. A one-hour research in progress panel on ‘non-normative lives’, proposed and with presentations by Nicole Chen and Charley Matthews, followed by discussion. The talks today link the reading for the JTB Prize into doctoral research projects, with both presentations speaking to […]

Friday 17 February, 2023, 10.00-11.30am, Project Room, first floor, 50 George Square. Launching the James Tait Black Memorual Prize Visiting Writers Programme, an opportunity to participate in a masterclass with the renowned biographer, critic and literary artist Frances Wilson, discussing her work towards a new biography of Muriel Spark. Limited to 16 students, postgraduates, and/or doctoral […]

Thursday, 8 December, 2022, 4.00-5.00pm, in the Centre for Research Collections Seminar Room, 6th floor, University of Edinburgh Main Library. A one-hour Edinburgh Life-Writing Network research-in-progress panel, proposed and with presentations by Edinburgh doctoral researchers and James Tait Black Biography Prize readers, Aiswarya Jayamohan and Maxime Geervliet, followed by discussion. Aiswarya Jayamohan: “stupid and gauche […]

1-2pm, Friday, 29 October, 2021. Room 1.22, 19 George Square. The inaugural Reading Group for ELWN will discuss the seminal work of Laura Marcus, focusing on the ‘Introduction’ and the chapter ‘Auto/biographical Spaces’, from Auto/biographical Discourses. Chair: Maxime Geervliet (Edinburgh). Our first reading is extracted chapters from an essential text for anyone working on life-writing – Laura Marcus‘s Auto/biographical Discourses. […]

2-3pm, Thursday, 11 November, 2021 from 2-3pm in the Project Room, 50 George Square. A one-hour research in progress panel on ‘non-normative lives’, proposed and with presentations by Nicole Chen and Charley Matthews, followed by discussion. The talks today link the reading for the JTB Prize into doctoral research projects, with both presentations speaking to […]

Weds 19 February 2020, 12:30-18:00, Project Room, 50 George Square. A one-day life-writing colloquium including a James Tait Black Biography Readers’ Discussion, research-in-progress presentations, and work-in-progress readings, with a visiting talk linked to the English Literature Seminar. Schedule 12:30-13.20    James Tait Black Prize in Biography 2020: Readers’ Discussion (JTB Co-ordinators June Laurenson, Alice Rae and […]