130 Years
Reading Waverley
Thursday 15th May 2015
Jenni Calder was born in Chicago, educated in the United States and England, and has lived in or near Edinburgh since 1971. After several years of part-time teaching and freelance writing, including three years in Kenya, she worked at the National Museums of Scotland from 1978 to 2001 successively as education officer, Head of Publications, script editor for the Museum of Scotland, and latterly as Head of Museum of Scotland International. In the latter capacity her main interest was in emigration and the Scottish diaspora. She has written and lectured widely on Scottish, English and American literary and historical subjects, and writes fiction and poetry as Jenni Daiches. She has two daughters, a son and a dog.
Synopsis: In Waverley Scott demonstrated that Scotland had a distinctive history and a vibrant identity. Scott’s concern that accelerating industrialisation and changing ways of life would destroy evidence of the past drove him to ensure history was not lost. His passion for collecting stories and artefacts paralleled his commitment to preserving the past through his writing.
Waverley is a compelling account of the Jacobite Rising and its background. With a mission to illuminate, Scott explains and interprets which paradoxically can make it harder for 21st century readers. But Scott’s fiction provides a gateway to Scotland’s past. There is much to be gained through reading about
Waverley’s young naïve hero ignorant of Scotland caught up in an episode that had profound consequences and still resonates. The aim of the recently published abridged version is to attract a new readership and renew enthusiasm for a writer too often neglected.
Jenny shares her experiences reading the works of Sir Walter Scott from a young age, highlighting "Waverley" as her gateway into Scottish history. She emphasizes the significance of Scott's exploration of the Jacobite risings, underscoring how the proximity of these events to his own time made his historical fiction resonate powerfully. Scott’s approach combined the oral tradition of storytelling with detailed historical context, striving to educate readers about Scotland's past and fostering an appreciation for its cultural heritage. She contrasts Scott's style with contemporary authors like Hilary Mantel, noting how Scott's frequent authorial interventions can both charm and frustrate modern readers. Despite a decline in readership in the 20th century, Scott's influence on 19th-century fiction was extensive, impacting writers like Dickens and Tolstoy. Finally, Jenny argues that Scott's vivid storytelling, character creation, and commitment to historical accuracy remain relevant today, offering valuable insights into the past that inform our understanding of contemporary identity.
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