Barbara Milner, Pamela Keeling and Anne Auchterlonie organized the first Dunnett Literary Debate at the Dundee Literary Festival 2013. Due to their hard work and the regard in which they are held by Dundee University, they, together with the University Organizer Bob McDevitt , managed to assemble an outstanding team of famous writers to discuss and debate: ‘Fact or Fiction? Historical fiction is more popular than ever, but how accurate are these portrayals of the periods they describe?’
The panel consisted of Imogen Robertson who writes historical mysteries; Robyn Young who is about to complete her trilogy on ‘The Bruce’ – in time for the Bannockburn anniversary; Iain Gale the critic and broadcaster who writes military histories and fiction and the well-known historian, writer and broadcaster Fiona Watson. All of these writers have won prestigious prizes. They answered questions on historical research; on the accuracy of official history itself; exploring the motivations of the characters and when is it right to change ‘history’ in fiction. The session started with a light-hearted description by Robyn Young – which delighted the audience – of the lengths that she went to ensure that what she was describing was accurate. Then followed a lively debate about the writer’s duty to be reasonably accurate, and the limitations on historians when they have to stick to ‘facts’.
The debate was becoming warm and stimulating when the session had to come to an end. All the writers expressed great satisfaction with the debate, with Imogen Robertson saying that she could have ‘gone on all night’, although Ian Gale expressed wry regret that there had been ‘no fisticuffs!’ They were very complimentary in their letters and in their later contributions to Facebook, Twitter etc. The audience seemed to enjoy it, and there were appreciative remarks made over the weekend. Two audience members told me that they felt that we had had ‘one panel member too many’- a point to bear in mind in future. There was one hostile report from a student who attended the debate, and whilst we welcome any comments, particularly those which can help us improve in future, we did not respond to these comments, not because they were critical, but because they were inaccurate.
The writers were a delight to work with, giving their time in corresponding by email in the weeks before the debate. They are consummate professionals, without enlarged egos, who agreed to the framework of the debate and helped with advice and the framing of questions. Betty Moxon digested my rather wordy introduction, thereby ensuring that time-management was good.
All writers hoped ‘that we should meet again’; Fiona Watson, particularly, asked if she could come and talk to us again.
That our first Dorothy Dunnett Literary Debate was a triumph was due to both the initiative and hard work of Barbara Milner and the Dundee group, and to the quality of the writers on the panel. Such was the success of the debate that Dundee University Literary Festival has invited the Dorothy Dunnett Society to take part in the 2014 Festival.
Ann McMillan
Honorary President
The Dorothy Dunnett Society
More News
