Papers of Duncan Glen (b. 1933)

The collection contains the following writing in Gen. 2186/1-2:

In Box 1 there are files of early essays mostly on Hugh MacDiarmid and Scottish writing, both titled and untitled, one or two of which became longer pieces later on, including: The voice of MacDiarmid, Political poet, Literary masks, Universal poet, and The predicament of the Scottish writer today. Also: a sketch of MacDiarmid by Glen; material highlighting the need for publication Akros and a mock-up of an issue of the journal; piece entitled The conversion of C.M. Grieve. From Poet to makar; Scotland's public enemy no.1; and High Macdiarmid: Poet and prophet. Box 1 also contains: a 2nd copy of a final typed script (as read by Grieve, January 1964) on Hugh MacDiarmid; and, a 3rd copy (not fully corrected) of MacDiarmid typescript entitled Hugh MacDiarmid and the Scottish renaissance.

In Box 2 there are files of essays and review articles (drafts and final) on MacDiarmid and Scottish writing, including: The complete poems of Hugh MacDiarmid, Lines of communication with Hugh MacDiarmid, and For the purposes of literature. Also, Fifteen years of Duncan Glen / Akros Publications 1962-1977 which includes a checklist of Akros publications. The Box also contains examples of graphic work and page set-up for Glen publications. There are manuscript essays or articles, including The individual and the twentieth century Scottish literary tradition, and working memoriam material in both typescript and manuscript, being a sequence of poems, In memoriam Hugh MacDiarmid. The Box also contains material relating to an interview between Glen and MacDiarmid in 1968, a piece entitled Hugh MacDiarmid: Supporting roles, material for MacDiarmid's 75th birthday being MacDiarmid - a specially commissioned poem by Sydney Goodsir Smith. A poet from the muckle toon which was to be radio-broadcast on Friday 11 August 1967 on the then BBC Scottish Home Service, and also some assorted and miscellaneous papers.

In E2006.19 there is:

• Illustrated talk on printing and poetry in Scotland, given to the Robert Henryson Society, in Dunfermline, October 2002
• Copies of pages from Sicilian newspaper Trapana Nuova with article by Nat Scammacca on Scottish poetry (undated)
• Page of Trapana Nuova, 9-16 July 1974, with article on Akros, Scottish poetry anthology
• Copy of page from La Sicilia, 4 June 1976, with article entitled 'Gemellaggio poetico Sicilia-Scozia' by L.S.
• Page of Trapana Nuova, 27 September 1984, with poem by Glen
• Page with signatures including that of Duncan Glen and Hugh MacDiarmid

The writer, poet and publisher Duncan Glen (pseud. of Simon Foster) was born in 1933. Glen was associated with Akros Publications, Preston, Lancs., in the 1970s. His Akros was first published in the mid-1960s. Glen lives in Fife, Scotland.

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The biographical/administrative history was compiled using material contained within the collection.

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Compiled by Graeme D Eddie, Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections.