The Legacy of James Macpherson and his Ossianic Publications
16th January 2015 – 28th February 2015
Talla Nan Ros, King Street, Kingussie PH21 1HP
2015 sees the 250th anniversary of the publication of the first collected edition of James Macpherson’s Works of Ossian. The occasion will be marked by a two-day conference run jointly between the Kingussie Heritage Festival and the University of the Highlands and Islands. The conference will take place in Kingussie, in Macpherson’s native Badenoch, on 18th and 19th April 2015.
Macpherson grew up in nearby Invertromie, and built ‘Balavil’, the Adam-designed mansion near Kingussie. Over the weekend in April we will explore Macpherson’s legacy — from his early poetry and the Ossianic poems to his political involvement both at home and in the Empire. Alongside keynote talks by Dr Howard Gaskill (Edinburgh) and Prof. Calum Colvin (Dundee), the conference will feature an excursion to Balavil and the Highland Folk Museum at Newtonmore, as well as a hands-on workshop exploring first editions of Macpherson’s works.
Proposals for 20-minute papers are sought from new and established scholars on any aspect of Macpherson’s life and works. Topics may include (but are not limited to)
• Macpherson as historian
• Macpherson’s personal life
• Macpherson’s early works, published and unpublished
• Macpherson’s legacy and impact
• Macpherson’s politics and influence in London
• Macpherson’s involvement in Indian affairs
• Macpherson’s patronage and engagement with Highlanders
• Macpherson’s importance as local laird in Badenoch
• The importance of Ossian to Scottish/British/European/World Literature
• Ossian and art/music/culture
• Ossian and Gaelic tradition
Please submit abstracts of 250-300 words for 20-minute papers to Dr Kristin Lindfield-Ott and Dr David Taylor at in13kl@uhi.ac.uk. The deadline for abstracts is 28th February 2015.
Nowe Szkoty 