Whispering Gallery, Issue 164

Our Dunnett Book of Hours concludes with the winter season in this December issue, and we remain in the chilly depths of winter in ‘A Close Read’ as we journey with Chancellor deep into the Russian landscape.

At Oxford Day in July this year, we were treated to a talk about the painting of Sultan Mehmet II by the Italian artist Gentile Bellini in the 1470s and how that prestigious commission came into being. The original paper on which the talk was based is printed in full in this issue.

Whetting the appetite for Leicester Day 2025, a member shares a surprising discovery that was made within her circle of friends, and we revisit Dunnett’s use of birds in her storytelling, this time centring on parrots and their connection to the fate of human beings. We are delighted to print this year’s winning entry from our annual short story competition run in partnership with the Historical Writers’ Association.

To mark the publication of our newest guide to Dunnett locations in the books, the Middle Marches, we have the first of three articles generated from the guide’s text. Meet the Scotts!

Contents

• The Chairman’s Column
• Trustees’ Notice Board
• ‘The forces of winged retribution’: Parrots, Fate, and Epic Machinery
• Middle Marches: The Dorothy Dunnett Guide – The Making of the Scotts
• ‘St Kilda Bird Song’
• The DNA Chain
• A Dunnett Lexicon
• Bellini, Bronze and Bombards: Sultan Mehmet II’s Requests Reconsidered
• Members’ Page
• There is a Season: Winter
• Corresponding with Dorothy Dunnett, part 3
• Talking Point
• A Close Read
• A Close Read

Published December 2024