30 April 2013
'Who Owns Scotland (And How They Got It)' - Saturday Evening Lecture on 11th May
As we approach next year's independence referendum discussions about who Scotland belongs to have never been so pertinent, and questions about who owns Scotland and how they came to acquire it will be asked at the University of Dundee next week.
Writer, researcher and activist Andy Wightman will ask what happened to Scotland's common land, and whether it can be reclaimed, when he delivers the final installment of this year's Saturday Evening Lecture Series at the Dalhousie Building on 11th May.
Over the past 20 years, Andy has undertaken a wide range of work on land tenure, ownership, reform and rights. After working as an environmental scientist, he has written extensively on questions of governance, power and money in relation to the land question.
His book, 'The Poor Had No Lawyers' looks at the appropriation of land throughout Scotland and how its past and present owners came to acquire it.
"I wrote 'The Poor Had No Lawyers' as an attempt to provide an historical analysis of the land question and to reinvigorate debate around land relations," he said. "I remain hopeful of success in countering hegemonic landed power in all its guises.
"From Robert the Bruce to Willie Ross and from James V to Donald Dewar, land has conferred political and economic power. Have attempts to redistribute this power more equitably made any difference, and what are the full implications of the recent debt-fuelled housing bubble?"
The lecture will provide a fascinating and illuminating analysis of one of the most important political questions in Scotland - who owns Scotland and how did they get it?
The event will bring down the curtain on the Saturday Evening Lecture Series, which has this year celebrated its 89th anniversary. It is Scotland's oldest continuous free public lecture series, and attracts thousands of people each year to hear varied and thought-provoking lectures from prestigious, world-class speakers.
Andy Wightman's talk takes place at 6pm on Saturday, 11th May in the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill. A book signing and drinks reception will follow the event.
Free tickets are available from events@dundee.ac.uk, online tickets, Tower Building Reception or 01382 385564/385108.
Overflow theatres will be in use and, as the main lecture theatre will be filled on a first come-first seated basis, patrons should be sure to arrive early if they would prefer to be seated there.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277 |
