The Very Fine Clock

Delighted to report that a new edition of Muriel Spark's children's book will be published on April 7. It will include the lovely illustrations of Edward Gorey. Hardback £17.99 from Transit Children's Editions.

Muriel Spark Walk 14 March

Fiona Donaldson is offering a Muriel Spark Walk on Saturday 14 March. The previous one was very much appreciated. Kick off is at 10.30am at Morningside Library. Cost is a minimum donation of £15 to the James Gillespies Trust and the Muriel Spark Society. Please contact Fiona to book: fionamd5@gmail.com.

Like a Cat Loves a Bird: the nine lives of Muriel Spark

James Bailey, the author of the above study, will be appearing at Topping Books in Edinburgh on 23 April at 7pm. Tickets from £5 are available from the Topping website.

Allan Massie dies aged 87

Allan Massie, Scottish novelist and crtic, has died aged 87. Massie wrote a book-length study of Muriel Spark, and introduced her novel The Comforters in the centenary edition of her novels, which was supported by the Society.

Kathleen Hardie

It is very sad to report the passing of our stalwart member Katheen Hardie. Kathleen led a long and fruitful life and was herself a prize winning writer. We will miss her good humour and company very much. The funeral is on Friday 12 December at Holy Cross Church, 11 Bangholm Loan, Edinburgh at 10am. Therafter to Warriston Crematorium at 11, followed by refreshments in the Church Hall. Thank you for your support of the Society Kathleen.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie film at the Filmhouse Edinburgh for New Year

Start the year with some Jean Brodie at Edinburgh Filmhouse! The 1969 film starring Maggie Smith will show at 3pm on the 2nd January. Great chance to see it on the bog screen ...

Converts: from Oscar Wilde to Muriel Spark, why so many became Catholic in the 20th Century

The above book, by Melanie McDonagh, will be published by Yale University Press on November 25, £25. Frances Wilson has reviewed it for the Spectator.

Frankenstein Display at NLS today 11—4

The National Library of Scotland has a pop up display on Frankentein, inspired by the release of the del Torre film. The display includes Spark's biography of Mary Shelley and her Bram Stoker award. why not pop along if you are nearby ...

Spirit of Spark launched

The Spirit of Spark memorial project was offically launched at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh this week. The event was attended by the Chairman and Treasurer of the Muriel Spark Society, and the Chairman is on the advisory committee. The Society arranged the first meeting of philanthropists Morag and James Anderson with Penelope Jardine in Umbria in 2023. A competition for design proposals will open soon, with a projection of completion in 2027, with the memorial in place in east Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh. Dame Muiel will the keep company with Scott and Stevenson, most appropriately. Great to see the event received such prominent coverage in the Scotsman and the front page of the Edinburgh Evening News. www.spiritofspark.info

Electric Spark shortlisted!

Frances Wilson's Electric Spark has been shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. The winner of the £50,000 award will be announced on November 4.

Bridget Stevens MBE

Congratulations to our longstanding Committee member Bridget who has been honoured this year. Bridget has worked for years to help people with disabilities enjoy the arts, and of course has contributed greatly to the work of the Muriel Spark Society!

Muriel Spark heading to Princes Street Gardens

Delighted to confirm that the sculpture dedicated to Dame Muriel has been green lighted by Edinburgh City Council. This will be the first for a woman. we have still a long journey ahead, but thanks again very much to the sponsors Morag and James Anderson.

Electric Spark longlisted for the 2025 Baillie Gifford Prize

Frances Wilson has been longlisted for the £50,000 Baillie Gifford Prize for non—fiction for her biography of Muriel Spark. The shortlist will be announced on 2 October, and the winner on 4 November.

Welcome Elizabeth!

A warm welcome to Elizabeth Pearson who has now become our Membership Secretary. please contact Elizabeth with all initial enquiries about our work or becomimg a member: eapearson468@gmail.com.

Thank you Alastair!

Great thanks to Alastair Selkirk for all his work as Membership Secretary over the last three years.

Happy 90th Birthday Penguin Books!

To celebrate their 90th anniversary, Penguin Books have issued 90 classics in a fresh new livery, with the general title Penguin Archive. I am delighted to report one of these is Muriel Spark's The Driver's Seat - her favourie of her novels. They are a bargain at £5.99 - treat yourself!

Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Uncharted Island - Book Launch 16 April 2025 7pm

Muriel Spark Society commmittee member Olga Wojtas will launch her latest book on Wednesday at the Edinburgh Bookshop - in the heart of Jean Brodie country at 176 Bruntsfield Place. The event is free and starts at 7pm. Contact the bookshop if you would like to attend - I'll see you there!

Electric Spark - the Enigma of Muriel Spark - Event at Topping Books Edinburgh 12 June 2025 7.30pm

See below for information on an event for an exciting new biographical study of Muriel Spark. Tickets from £8 are available on the Topping website. Frances Wilson writes books that blow your hair back' ~ KATHERINE RUNDELL A 2025 HIGHLIGHT FOR: Telegraph, Financial Times, Guardian, Observer and Scotsman. From one of our leading biographers and critics comes an exhilarating, landmark new look at Muriel Spark. Frances Wilson is a critic, journalist and the author of six works of non-fiction, including Guilty Thing: A Life of Thomas de Quincey, which was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize in 2016, and Burning Man: The Ascent of D. H. Lawrence, which won the Plutarch Award in 2022 and was shortlisted for the Duff Cooper Prize. Electric Spark explores not the celebrated Dame Muriel but the apprentice mage discovering her powers. We return to her early years when everything was piled on: divorce, madness, murder, espionage, poverty, skulduggery, blackmail, love affairs, revenge, and a major religious conversion. If this sounds like a novel by Muriel Spark it is because the experiences of the 1940s and 1950s became, alchemically reduced, the material of her art. 'Is the story fact? Is it fiction? It is what it is' Muriel Spark The word most commonly used to describe Muriel Spark is 'puzzling'. Spark was a puzzle, and so too are her books. She dealt in word games, tricks, and ciphers; her life was composed of weird accidents, strange coincidences and spooky events. Evelyn Waugh thought she was a saint, Bernard Levin said she was a witch, and she described herself as 'Muriel the Marvel with her X-ray eyes'. Following the clues, riddles, and instructions Spark planted for posterity in her biographies, fiction, autobiography and archives, Frances Wilson aims to crack her code.

Kathleen Hardie - congratulations!

Congratulations are due to our member Kathleen Hardie on the publication of her novella Ranna and the Crescendo Kilt which is now available on Kindle. Kathleen is also to be congratulated on her quaich from the Sir Walter Scott Club in recognition of many years of service. Thank you Kathleen for sharing that you enjoyed the joint lecture with the Club from Gerry Carruthers - we have enjoyed all the positive feedback.

Dame Maggie Smith 1934-2024

The Muriel Spark Society, including our Patron Penelope Jardine, are saddened to hear of the passing of Dame Maggie Smith. Dame Maggie won the Best Actress Oscar in 1969 for her unforgettable portrayal of Miss Jean Brodie. She was also a very impressive Mrs Pettigrew in the BBC adaptation of Memento Mori. It was a long career of great distinction and she certainly brought all her acting genius and humour to her Sparkian roles.

Electric Spark: the enigma of Muriel Spark

Frances Wilson, who enjoyed a recent critical success with her book on D H Lawrence, will publish a biographical volume on Dame Muriel on 5 June 2025. Entitled Electric Spark: the enigma of Muriel Spark, which is intriguing. As the first volume of Spark letters will appear next year too, it will be a big year for Sparkian scholarship. Frances Wilson's book will be published by Bloomsbury at £25, £17.50 for the ebook.

Edinburgh: the autobiography ...

Alan Taylor, our former Chairman and friend of Muriel Spark, will launch his biography of Edinburgh at Topping Books on 7 October - details below. I wonder if a certain Dame will feature ... Venue: Pilrig St Paul's Church, Pilrig Street, Edinburgh - please note change of venue.

Muriel Spark receives an honorary degree from Edinburgh University in 1989

How to Win an Information War - with Muriel Spark

Author Peter Pomerantsev's new book, How to Win an Information War, investigates the life of Sefton Delmer, with whom Spark worked during the war as documented in Curriculum Vitae. Mr Pomerantsev will appear at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year on Thursday 15 August at 17.45. His book is published by Faber at £20. More details below: From one of our leading experts on disinformation, the incredible true story of the complex and largely forgotten WWII propagandist Sefton Delmer - and what we can learn from him today. In the summer of 1941, Hitler ruled Europe from the Atlantic to the Black Sea. Britain was struggling to combat the powerful Nazi propaganda machine, which crowed victory and smeared its enemies. But inside Germany, there was one notable voice of dissent from the very heart of the military machine, Der Chef, a German whose radio broadcasts skilfully questioned Nazi doctrine. He had access to high-ranking German military secrets and spoke of internal rebellion. His listeners included German soldiers and citizens. American officials and even the President tried to to decipher what it meant for the future of the war. But what these audiences didn't know was that Der Chef was a fiction, a character created by the British propagandist Sefton Delmer, just one player in Delmer's vast counter-propaganda cabaret, a unique weapon in the war. As author Peter Pomerantsev uncovers Delmer's story, he is called into a wartime propaganda effort of his own: the global response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine. This book is the story of Delmer and his modern-day investigator, as they each embark on their own quest to seduce and inspire the passions of supporters and enemies, and to turn the tide of information wars.

Bookmark Festival 2024

Our distinguished former Chair, Gail Wylie, will launch the 2024 Bookmark Festival on 3 August with Olga Wojtas: Date: Saturday 3 August 2024 Time: 2:00 pm Location: St Catharine's Community Centre, PH10 6EY Price: £10 for non-members £9 for members Author: Olga Wojtas With: Ewan Morrison BOOKMARK 2024 Launch with the welcome return of one of our patrons, Olga Wojtas and the latest instalment of her heroine Shona McMonagle's adventures, in Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Gondola of Doom. Anyone who has been to one of Olga's previous events knows that an entertaining afternoon is guaranteed! After refreshments and raffle, Gail Wylie, BOOKMARK Chair, will reveal the BOOKMARK 2024 Programme and the 'Box Office' will be open for the sale of Festival tickets including our very popular 'Weekend and Daily Passes'. For tickets please contact: Rhona Christie at rhona.maclean@yahoo.co.uk or 01250 875613 Adventure into Books - 01250 872852

Olga Wojtas and Miss Blaine's Prefect

Our eminent Committee member Olga Wojtas will appear at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year, details below: Olga Wojtas: Miss Blaine's Prefect is Back Wed 14 Aug 12:45 - 13:45 EFI Venue NW Attend in person EFI Venue NW £15.50 [concessions £13.50/£10.50] In-person tickets go on sale at 10:00 on Thursday 20 June. Olga Wojtas: Miss Blaine's Prefect is Back Olga Wojtas talks about how you should never underestimate a librarian. The author has delighted readers with her Miss Blaine’s Prefect series which see Shona, a 50-something librarian, embroiled in a series of adventures, each one more hilarious than the last. She’s conjured up another treat in Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Gondola of Doom. Will time-travelling Shona unravel the Venetian mystery in time? Wojtas will be joined in conversation by Lee Randall.

A Memorial to Dame Muriel Spark

Philanthropists Morag and James Anderson have generously agreed to fund the establishment of a memorial to Dame Muriel in Edinburgh, where she was born in 1918. Designs will be commissioned from sculptors and a Committee will decide on the winner. A possible site for the statue is Princes Street Gardens which is central and non-residential. It also houses some world famous literary monumnets already to Scott and Stevenson, the latter inaugurated by Spark herself. The project is supported by Muriel's companion, and the Society's patron, Penelope Jardine. There is a long road ahead, but we may know more definite details around the time of the Edinburgh International Festival. Watch this space ...

Brodie - but not as you know her ...

Gillian Shirreffs has published a novel with Jean Brodie at its heart. A 30-year journey of love, loss, and the perils of being an object in a human world. Brodie is the irresistible story of six women whose lives intertwine over three decades, told by Brodie, the beloved object that connects them all. On a spring day in 1988, Sandra Galbraith runs her long, curious fingers over a bookshelf tightly packed with the titles of her favourite writer, Muriel Spark. She’s on a quest to find the perfect birthday gift for her niece, Violet, and plucks Brodie, a pristine, new copy of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, from a neat cluster of identikit books. Brodie adores Violet and, over the next two years, hidden in plain sight, learns family secrets of betrayal and a double life. When Violet leaves for university, her brother kidnaps Brodie to give to his disinterested love interest. On the thirty-year journey that follows, Brodie passes through hands and lives and is witness to death, sex, and a wicked stepmother. The novel is published by Into Books £10.99.

"My God, can she write a line!"

Check our the Scotsman Weekend magazine for an interview with Gabriel Quigley, who has adapted The Girls of Slender Means for the forthcoming Royal Lyceum production. In adapting Muriel Spark’s novel about an all-female London boarding house, Gabriel Quigley has tried to home in on the humour, she tells Mark Fisher.

Mastermind Champion - with a little help from Muriel Spark

Congratulations to Ruth Hart from Glasgow who was crowned Mastermind Champion for 2024; she won her semi-final heat with the novels of Muriel Spark as her specialist subject. Charity Engagement Manager, Ruth Hart, from Glasgow was crowned the 2024 Mastermind Champion in another thrilling Grand Final on Monday 1 April on BBC Two, concluding the show’s 51st series. Ruth won the Final with 28 points, scoring a perfect 15/15 in her specialist subject, the artist Francis Bacon. This was the first time Ruth had ever applied to a TV quiz show and the first time she'd ever been on TV. Ruth said of her win: “I was hugely surprised. I really couldn’t believe it, especially because things got off to a terrible start in the general knowledge round! I remember thinking I just needed to keep going and when the buzzer went I really expected Clive [Myrie] to say ‘Oh you’ve just missed it’. It’s all a total blur and I was flabbergasted as I didn’t have any expectations at the start. I had no experience of being on TV, or competitive quizzing, I just watched programmes at home myself – I’d never put it to the test, though!”

Mastermind - the novels of Muriel Spark

Congratulations are due to the contestant on last night's Mastermind who won her heat answering on the novels of Muriel Spark. This has secured her a place in next week's final. If you missed it, you can catch up on BBC iplayer. How would you do? Part of me is sad though - this would have been my specialist subject! Perhaps I could answer on Dame Muriel's life ...?

Time to Play - Norma Allan

James Gilliespie's alumnus Norma Allan launches her new book of poems, Time to Play, at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on March 6 2.30pm. Free tickets can be obtained via the SSC website or Box Office. Norma delivered our online lecture on the 60th anniversary of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 2021.

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Memento Mori and Many Primes ....

Head over to BBC4 tonight to see again the BBC adaptation of Memento Mori followed by Kirsty Wark's 2018 Centenary documentary on Muriel Spark ...

Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Gondola of Doom

Our esteemed member and author Olga Wojtas will launch her new novel at Blackwell's, South Bridge, Edinburgh on 18 January 7pm. Tickets are free on the Blackwell's website. Never underestimate a librarian. Fifty-something Edinburgh librarian Shona is a proud former pupil of the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, but has a deep loathing for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which she thinks gives her alma mater a bad name. Impeccably educated and an accomplished linguist, mathematician, martial artist, and musician, Shona is selected by Marcia Blaine herself to travel back in time for a crucial mission in Venice. Finding the city afflicted by what appears to be a new outbreak of the plague, Shona soon encounters the Cornetto family of gondoliers. Lately, a number of their passengers have met a watery fate. Coincidence? Unlikely. She dons a mask, goes undercover and seeks inspiration in the library. But the mystery only deepens. Why do the Cornettos seem so flaky and their explanations wafer-thin, even as they proclaim their innocence? What is going on at the printworks? Shona’s powers of deduction, dissection and prowess as a swimmer are put to the test as she realises that a bitter feud is at play. Can Shona unravel the tapestry of lies and get to the truth? It’s a race against time, but it would be a mistake to underestimate a librarian.

The Girls of Slender Means coming to the Edinburgh Lyceum Theatre in 2024

Drama adapted by Gabriel Quigley, from the novel by Muriel Spark Directed by Roxana Silbert ‘As they realised themselves in varying degrees, few people alive at the time were more delightful, more ingenious, more movingly lovely, and, as it might happen, more savage, than the girls of slender means.’ Set in the summer of 1945, in a hostel for the ‘Pecuniary Convenience and Social Protection of Ladies of Slender Means below the age of Thirty Years, who are obliged to reside apart from their Families in order to follow an Occupation in London.’, The Girls of Slender Means follows the adventures of the women who live there. They do their best to act as if the war never happened. They practice elocution, and jostle one another over suitors and a fabulous Schiaparelli gown, which they each use whenever the occasion demands. But behind the girls' giddy literary and amorous explorations hides an exquisite fragility and sinister peril, as they strive to survive 'when all the nice people were poor'. The Girls of Slender Means is a story of glamour in austerity, women at work, women at play, and women’s wit. Dates: 13 April to 4 May; ticket details on Lyceum website. The Muriel Spark Society is planning a group visit for members only.

The Girls of Slender Means coming to the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh in 2024

Dates: 13 April to 4 May 2024; ticket details on Lyceum website. Drama adapted by Gabriel Quigley, from the novel by Muriel Spark Directed by Roxana Silbert ‘As they realised themselves in varying degrees, few people alive at the time were more delightful, more ingenious, more movingly lovely, and, as it might happen, more savage, than the girls of slender means.’ Set in the summer of 1945, in a hostel for the ‘Pecuniary Convenience and Social Protection of Ladies of Slender Means below the age of Thirty Years, who are obliged to reside apart from their Families in order to follow an Occupation in London.’, The Girls of Slender Means follows the adventures of the women who live there. They do their best to act as if the war never happened. They practice elocution, and jostle one another over suitors and a fabulous Schiaparelli gown, which they each use whenever the occasion demands. But behind the girls' giddy literary and amorous explorations hides an exquisite fragility and sinister peril, as they strive to survive 'when all the nice people were poor'. The Girls of Slender Means is a story of glamour in austerity, women at work, women at play, and women’s wit.

Muriel Spark at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2023 ....

THE BOOKER PRIZES EVENT The Booker Prizes: Book of the Month Fri 25 Aug 12:30 - 13:30 Baillie Gifford West Court Attend in person Baillie Gifford West Court £15.50 [concessions £13.50/£10.50] Sponsored by The Booker Prizes The Booker Prizes: Book of the Month ‘How wonderful to be an artist and a woman in the twentieth century,’ says Fleur Talbot, Muriel Spark’s heroine in Loitering with Intent. In this Festival edition of the Booker Prizes' Book of the Month series, Sparkophiles, including Jackie Kay, explore this beloved melodrama, and how Sparks’ experiences as a writer in post-war London propelled her to write a novel that takes place ‘on the grubby edge of the literary world'. Chaired by Jo Hamya. Please note: this event may be recorded for the Booker Prize podcast series. Categories: Fiction, Words/Reading Tickets available from the Book Festival.

Sir Ian Rankin display highlights Spark PhD

A display at the National Library of Scotland includes his PhD proposal and research cards on Muriel Spark. Rankin apparently donated his archive to the Library to reside beside that of his literary heroine. This is timely as members of the Muriel Spark Society visit the Library today to view items from the Spark Archive. The Rankin display is free and runs until April.

Poetic Licence: paintings of Scottish writers and poets

An exhibition of paintings of Scottish writers and poets by Greg Moodie includes 2 portraits of Muriel Spark. it is on at The Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh until October 12.

Happy Platinum Jubilee with Muriel Spark

The Girls of Slender Means has been chosen to represent one year of the seventy of the Queen's Reign, another Royal honour for Dame Muriel Spark. The Big Jubilee Read has been compiled by The Reading Agency and the BBC. Excellent choice!

Robinson Crusoe and Miss Brodie …

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie has been included in the list of the greatest novels of impact sine Robinson Crusoe. Great news, but should they have chosen Robinson?!

Afterwords: Muriel Spark

Radio 3 will present a programme of readings and views on Muriel Spark on Sunday June 12 at 18.45. Reflections on Spark's life and work through audio archive and those who knew her. 44 minutes.

The Muriel Spark Society AGM

The Muriel Spark Society Annual General Meeting will take place on 7 June 2022 at 6pm in The Saltire Society, 22 High Street, Edinburgh. We hope as many members as possible can join us.

Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Weird Sisters Olga Wojtas

Olga publishes her 3rd Brodie-inspired novel on March 17, with the intriguing title above. Macbeth perhaps ...? She has also recoded the novel for Audible which sounds like great fun. Olga will be speaking to the Society after the lunch on April 24, and will also hold an event at Toppings Books in Edinburgh on March 30 at 8pm. See you there!

Patricia Highsmith, Muriel Spark and the cat …

Patricia Highsmith's diaries were published late last year and there are references to her friend Muriel Spark and the cat, Spider, that passed between them. There is also reference to a review Highsmith wrote on The Hothouse by the East River - intriguing. I must check that out. Highsmith is pictured holding a cat on the cover - was that Spider I wonder?

The Muriel Spark Society Spring Lunch

The Society will hold a Spring Lunch this year on Sunday 24 April at 12.30-1pm at the Bruntsfield Hotel in Edinburgh. We are delighted to welcome members and guests back after a hiatus caused by the pandemic. Join us for a welcome glass of fizz, three courses with wine, and coffee. There will be raffle, quiz on The Piblic Image and a talk by novelist Olga Wojtas. Guests are welcome. Please contact our Membership Secretary, Lorna Statham, if you would like to join us.

The Crooked Dividend: essays on Muriel Spark - free online event

The National Library of Scotland is hosting a free online event on this book of essays to be publushed by the Association of Scottish Literary Studies next month. The event is on the 17th March at 5pm. Please register a place at the National Library of Scotland website events section.

Birthday Thoughts ….

Today would have been Muriel Spark's 104th Birthday and so is an opprtune moment to wish all members of the Society a happy new year. We had to postpone the Birthday Lunch this year, but we still hope to have a Spring Lunch near Easter. The Committee met recently to discuss plans for the autumn lecture and AGM. We can't wait to see you all again. i hope you are all keeping well. Oh and we haven't given up on Venice ...

Happy 60th Birthday Miss Jean Brodie!

On this day in 1961 Macmillan published the first edition of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, a novel that would become a classic of 20th Century literature. Soon afterwards, the novel would appear in its entirety in The New Yorker. The Muriel Spark Society is celebrationg by holding a free online lecture today at 5pm. Norma Allan, a James Gillespie's girl like Muriel Spark, will give us some of the history behind the Brodie myth. Please head to the website of the National Library of Scotland - events if you would like to join us: www.nls.uk/events

Sar-sgeoil The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in Gaelic

BBC Alba recently aired a documentary on Muriel and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in Gaelic. Subtitles are provided. Filmed at Gillespies, in Morningside and in Abercorn Cemetery, where they failed to find Miss Kay's headstone. Our member Olga Wojtas appears, and your lockdown hair looked fine Olga! Available on iPlayer.

Ali Smith’s favourite literary heroine

Ali Smith recently chose Fleur Talbot from Loitering with Intent as her favourite literary heroine. A wonderful choice and she also qouted Fleur's unforgettable credo, "Everything happens to an artist, time is always redeemed, nothing is lost and wonders never cease" Defoe's Moll Flanders comes a very disreputable second choice.Check out the Guardian online from 1 May.

Richard Osman’s cultural highlights

Muriel Spark has never been short of prominent admirers, and here is another for that distinguished list: Richard Osman. The Pointless host and best selling author chose Dame Muriel in the book section of his list of cultural highlights in last Saturday's Guardian. Now, I wonder if he's free to speak to the Society ...

60 Years of MIss Jean Brodie ...

2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1961. I am delighted to announce the Muriel Spark Society will be marking the event with a lecture hosted by the National Library of Scotland on October 5. Presently we are planning an online event at 5pm, but who knows, perhaps we may all be able to meet? Our speaker will be Norma Allan, who recnetly published a history of her alma mater, James Gillespie's High School in Edinburgh. Her book, "Box Hats and Blue Stockings" was published in 2019. I will post more details as they are firmed up.

Muriel Spark's Early Fiction: literary subversion and experiments with form ...

Dr James Bailey has kindly been in touch to announce his reent book on Dame Muriel's fiction,published at the end of last month by Edinburgh University Press. Here is the information from his publisher: A compelling reappraisal of Spark’s approach to literary experimentation Offers a distinctive reappraisal of Spark’s fiction, which challenges the rigid critical framework that has long been applied to her writing Interrogates how Spark’s literary innovations work to facilitate moments of subversive satire and gendered social critique Presents nuanced re-readings of some of Spark’s major works, as well as lesser-discussed texts such as her only stage play, Doctors of Philosophy, and early short stories Draws upon detailed archival research to offer a unique insight into the social contexts and personal preoccupations that informed Spark’s writing This book presents a detailed critical analysis of a period of significant formal and thematic innovation in Muriel Spark’s literary career. Spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s, it identifies formative instances of literary experimentation in texts including The Comforters, The Driver’s Seat and The Public Image, with an emphasis on metafiction and the influence of the nouveau roman. As the first critical study to draw extensively on Spark’s vast archives of correspondence, manuscripts and research, it provides a unique insight into the social contexts and personal concerns that dictated her fiction. I have invited Dr Bailey to speak to the Society, and will post details when we can arrange a date.

Happy Birthday Lorna #2!

Lorna had a fab birthday as you can see. Thanks to Hugh for the lovely pic.

Happy Birthday Lorna!

Lorna a very happy birthday from all your friends in The Muriel Spark Society. we can't wait to raise a glass with you! thank you for all your generosity, support and for being just great fun.

Ian Rankin's archives to be opened up to the public this week

Ian Rankin's archive will open to the public at the National Library of Scotland this week, and this includes access to his unfinished PhD on Muriel Spark. There is an online event hosted by NLS this evening, with Curator Rosemary Hall. Please make an appointment if you wish to view the archive. Here is some of the publicity article: The National Library of Scotland has revealed that nearly 400 files of manuscripts, notes and letters kept by the best-selling writer will be available to inspect from Friday. However followers of Rankin and Rebus will have to pre-book their visit to a “reading room” at its headquarters in Edinburgh. Highlights include early manuscripts for first Rebus novel Knots and Crosses, correspondence with leading literary figures like J K Rowling, Iain Banks, Ruth Rendell, Val McDermid and Jilly Cooper, letters from police officers who offered to help Rankin with his research, and his unfinished PhD on the author Muriel Spark.

Ian Rankin reacts to hilarious no-nonsense writing advice from Muriel Spark

A video clip showing late author Muriel Spark explaining her uncomplicated writing process has gone viral on social media. Bruntsfield-born Spark shot to fame in 1957 with the publication of her first novel, The Comforters, but is best-known for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), set in Edinburgh. In the video, Ms Spark sits at her writing desk and tells an off-screen interviewer: “I begin at the beginning. I write the title then I write my name. “Then I turn over and I write the title of the book, I write ‘Chapter One’ and then I write on.” Ms Spark, who died in 2006 in Florence, Tuscany, continued: “I leave a space so I can make alterations as I go along but I don’t revise it afterwards. “Then it goes to the typist and she types it and I revise that. “And that’s the book. That’s finished.” The clip has garnered more than 10,000 views on Twitter alone. Ian Rankin, who has cited Ms Sparks as his literary heroine, was asked by one social media user whether he took inspiration from her no-nonsense writing process. The Fife-born Rebus author, who lives in Edinburgh, replied: “I do a few more drafts than Muriel though!” Dean Atta, Scottish author of The Black Flamingo (2019) joked: “Why do I need an editor and a copyeditor if it’s this easy? Who knew, all I needed was a typist!” Writer and journalist Esther Webber described the clip as: “the Bake-Off technical challenge equivalent of writing advice.”

Nicola Sturgeon offers a tour of her bookshelves for Book Week Scotland

NICOLA Sturgeon has presented a tour of her jam-packed bookshelves to mark this year’s Book Week Scotland, showing off her favourite reads and offering a glimpse into the collection she has been developing for “as long as I can remember”. The keen reader said she “now shares a house with books rather than the other way round”, with overspill in different rooms in her home. The First Minister showed off her copy of A Scots Quair which was a school prize. The SNP leader showed off some of her other favourites, including picks by Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Ali Smith and Muriel Spark. Sturgeon showed viewers “one of my most prized possessions” – a signed first-edition copy of Spark’s The Girls of Slender Means. Please go to "The National" for 17th November for the full article, plus film of the First Minister's Library.

The Muriel Spark Society - from Edinburgh to the world!

Congratulations to our distinguished speaker, Professor Fiona Sampson for delivering an exceptional annual lecture this year. This was the Muriel Spark Society's first foray into digital broadcasting (helped by the National Library of Scotland), and it was a world impactful hit! We had 180 "attendees" from the USA, Canada as well as Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Sweden. This is almost double the capacity of the lecture room in the National Libary, and we hope some of you who attended for the first time might join us as members. Fiona's lecture was a detailed and original examination of a crucial time in Spark's career before she became the world famous novelist. I will post details here when I hear of it being published.

The Muriel Spark Society Annual Lecture 2020 - Fiona Sampson on Spark: finding her form. Join us next week!

You are most welcome to attend our annual lecture on Eventbrite next week, details below: We are delighted to announce that we are able to hold our annual lecture over the Web this year. The event is part of the National Library of Scotland's zoom events programme and we are once again very grateful for the support. Our speaker is Professor Fiona Sampson, who, like Spark, has written a biography of Mary Shelley. She was also only the second female editor of Poetry Review after Spark herself in the 1940s. Professor Sampson's title: Muriel Spark: finding her form. The lecture will broadcast on November 12 at 5pm. Please register with Eventbrite. We look forward to the worldwide audience that will for the first time be able to join us for our lecture.

Muriel Spark by Ian Rankin | Sky Arts 6 October 10:00pm

Muriel Spark was once the most famous female author in the world. Movie studios fought over the film rights to her novels. Magazines sent limousines to collect her type-script articles. Yet she had a difficult relationship with fame and a turbulent relationship with her family. Now, author of the Rebus crime novels Ian Rankin explores his notes and diary entries from the PHD he once carried out on Sparks’ novels back as a student in Edinburgh, using them as a guide to explain why he believes Muriel Spark to be one of the great novelists of the 20th Century.

Muriel Spark and Sound Technologies

MurielSpark and Sound Technologies LateSummer Lecture Series Deadline:30 September 2020 at 17:30 MurielSpark and Deceptive Sound Technologies : Hearing theAcousmatic Voice Thislecture draws on Spark's Political Warfare Executiveexperienceduring the Second World War to explore the deployment ofdeceptivesound technologies such as the wireless and the telephone inherfiction. Due to their disembodied nature, these technologiesrely onthe acousmatic voice - the voice without origin - to enacttheirpresence, yet their lack of visual references providesopportunitiesfor manipulation and deception. Location: AllScotland ,England, Wales, Northern Ireland, International Forfurther information, please contact latesummerlectures@gmail.com orvisit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/muriel-spark-and-sound-technologies-late-summer-lecture-series-2020-tickets-115344225684 Thedeadline is Wednesday 30 September 2020 at 17:30.

No more James Gillespie's?

James Gillespie: leading school urged to rename over founder’s slavery links. Dame Muriel's school, the inspiration for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, is being urged to change its name due to current events. There is an article in today's Times if you wish to learn more. Gillespie was involved in the tobacco trade, and was a tobacconist in Edinburgh's High Street.

The Muriel Spark Society Lecture 2020

We are delighted to announce that we are able to hold our annual lecture over the Web this year. The event is part of the National Library of Scotland's zoom events programme and we are once again very grateful for the support. Our speaker is Professor Fiona Sampson, who, like Spark, has written a biography of Mary Shelley. She was also only the second female editor of Poetry Review after Spark herself in the 1940s. Professor Sampson's title: Muriel Spark: finding her form. The lecture will broadcast on November 12 at 5pm. We will send out more joining instructions nearer the time, but advise that you register with Eventbrite. We look forward to the worldwide audience that will for the first time be able to join us for our lecture.

Muriel Spark and the Art of Deception - new article

It is a pleseure to welcome our new member, Biatriz Lopez, a PhD candidate at Durham University. She also kindly gave us a note of an intriguing article she has just published: I'm writing to you because I have just published a new journal article, 'Muriel Spark and the Art of Deception: Constructing Plausibility with the Methods of WWII Black Propaganda', in the Review of English Studies, which I think may be of interest to members of the Muriel Spark Society. If you circulate a mailing list or are active in social media, would you please be able to feature some information about the article? It can be accessedthrough the following link: https://doi.org/10.1093/res/hgaa039

Terence Greer Book artist 1929-2020

Sad to report the passing of the brilliant book artist Terence Greer, who died recently in Canada. As you can see from above, and below, he produced wonderfully memorable covers for Muriel's books for Penguin. He also did a work for Radio Times, which some may remember.
Great to see these images again.

Aileen Christianson

Sad to announce the passing of the academic and writer Aileen Christianson, aged 75. She was a life member of the Society and spoke for us at the National Library of Scotland.There is an obituary in the Guardian in which Muriel gets a mention, 23 June 2020.

Muriel Spark, Mary Shelley and a 21st Century plague

Muriel Spark praised Mary Shelley’s The Last Man, which deals with a 21st Century plague. There is a paperback edition from OUP if it is not too near the bone, although many are reading Defoe and Camus for plague literature!

Nash Ensemble

Many  will remember with pleasure the Nash Ensemble at the Spark concert in the Queen’s Hall in January. You can now hear a lot more of them in Radio 3’s lunchtime concert series this week, and also on BBC Sounds. Enjoy.

Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace

Congratulations to our member Olga Wojtas on the recent publication of her second novel featuring fifty something librarian Shona, former pupil of Marcia Blaine. This time her adventures take her o fin de siecle France, with Debussy and Alan Taylor making appearances ...
Paperback original from Contraband £8.99. Kindle edition £3.99.
Forgive the personal reference, but this post was written by a fifty-something librarian!

Appointment in Arezzo - A Good Read

Alan Taylor’s Appointment in Arezzo will be discussed on Radio 4’s A Good Read tomorrow (24 March) at 4.30pm. Happy listening.
Good wishes of encouragement and comfort to all, especially if you are self-isolating. Take care.

Zoe Caldwell 1933-2020

Sad to note the death this month of the four time Tony Award winner Zoe Caldwell. She won a Tony Award for her Broadway portrayal of Miss Jean Brodie in 1968.

Eric Lloyd 1923-2019

The Society is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Eric Lloyd on December 27, at the age of 96. Eric was our founding Treasurer and was an indispensable support to his wife Christine in establishing and developing the Muriel Spark Society. The Chairman will attend the funeral on January 10th. Our sincerest condolences to Christine.

Henry Kondracki: literary supplement

A chamber exhibition of paintings by Kondracki inspired by literary Edinburgh is on at the Royal Scottish Academy until January 5 2020. As you might imagine, Muriel Spark and Jean Brodie feature prominently. Entrance is free.

Muriel Spark Society Book Group

The Muriel Spark Society Book Group will meet on Monday 20 January at 6pm. The location is the Saltire Society just off the High Street in Edinburgh. Gail Wylie will lead a discussion of the poems by Spark which inspired David Matthews musical piece, White Flame, to be performed by the Nash
Ensemble with mezzo soprano a week hence at the Queen’s Hall (see separate post below)
The five early poems are:
The Victoria Falls
Like Africa
Winter Poem
To Lucius Sestius in the Spring
Epilogue

Concert for Muriel Spark

A concert with a Scottish premiere of a piece inspired by Spark’s poetry will be held in Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall on Monday 27 January 2020 at 7.45pm. The new piece, White Flame, is by David Matthews and is for piano quintet and mezzo soprano. The piece was commissioned by Penelope Jardine to mark Dame Muriel’s centenary in 2018.
The Nash Ensemble will perform in a concert supported by the Muriel Spark Society and The New Town Concert Society.
There is a pre concert talk at 6.30 pm: composer David Matthews and Alan Taylor.
Tickets are available from the Queen’s Hall Box Office:
0131 668 2019.

Muriel Spark Society Annual Birthday Lunch 2020

Our annual Birthday Lunch will take place on Sunday 26 January at 12.30pm. The venue is the Bruntsfield Hotel Edinburgh. Once again there will be a raffle and a quiz (with prizes!) on the novel, Memento Mori. In honour of the closeness to Burns day, haggis will be on the menu. The lunch is £32 per head with fizz on arrival and a glass of wine with lunch. It is open to non-members; please contact the Society if you would like to join us.

Angus P Collins 1943-2019

It is with sadness we announce the passing of Angus Collins. Angus’s course on Muriel Spark is the context out of which the Society grew. He inspired our founder, Christine Lloyd, and encouraged her to write to Spark to gain her blessing for the formation of a society in her name. He worked on the Committee, led book groups with quiet precision, and co-edited our newsletter. Many members will have happy memories of him.
The Chairman attended the funeral at the invitation of his widow, Hiromi.

Janice Galloway gives our annual lecture 12 November 2019

Janice Galloway delivered a fresh, detailed and unique perspective on Muriel Spark at the National Library of Scotland this week. The event was booked out, and informed questions taken at the end. She spoke about meetings with Spark, Spark's works and life. All was engagingly illustrated with colourful slides and a sound excerpt form an interview. Great to hear Muriel's voice once again.

Agnes Crawford in Venice ...

Check out Rome specialist Agnes Crawford on Venice. Wonderful images and insights.
@understandrome.

Scottish premiere of music inspired by Muriel Spark

A special coda to the Muriel Spark centenary with the first performance in Scotland of David Matthews’ setting of Muriel Spark poems, White Flame. This will be framed by a hallmark Nash Ensemble selection from some of the best-loved works in the chamber repertory.


Mozart: Piano Quartet in G minor K478
David Matthews: ‘White Flame’ – a setting of Muriel Spark poems for mezzo-soprano, piano and string quartet
Brahms: Two songs Op 91 for voice, viola & piano
Schumann: Piano Quintet in E flat Op 44
Victoria Simmonds: mezzo-soprano


Preceded at 6.30pm by a talk by composer David Matthews and Alan Taylor, past Chairman of The Muriel Spark Society, on the work commissioned to celebrate her writings.

Nash Ensemble, 19:45 Monday 27 Jan 2020

The Queen's Hall, The Queen's Hall, 85-89 Clerk St, Edinburgh, EH8 9JG

Tickets £16-£25

To book tickets, please call the Box Office on +44 (0)131 668 2019. Opening hours are generally 10am to 5.15pm, although these are extended when there is an event on.

Presented by New Town Concerts Society in association with The Muriel Spark Society and with financial assistance from the Muriel Spark Foundation.

Janice Galloway on Muriel Spark

Acclaimed Scottish novelist Janice Galloway will deliver the annual Muriel Spark Society Lecture at the National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, on November 12 2019 at 5.30pm.
The free lecture is now fully booked, but you can contact the National Library of Scotland to be added to the waiting list. Contact NLS events: 0131 623 3734.

Spark at the Edinburgh Art Festival 2019

A Bust of Muriel Spark features in the exhibition below:


NICOLE FARHI: WRITING HEADS

Current exhibition

25 July - 31 August 2019

• Overview
• Works

Overview

Nicole Farhi: Writing Heads - a selection

The Fine Art Society in Edinburgh presents Writing Heads, an exhibition of 25 busts of 20^th century novelists and playwrights sculpted in ciment fondu and painted by Nicole Farhi MRSS, from Françoise Sagan to Muriel Spark and Samuel Beckett. Farhi models her figures as a response to their identity and work, sculpting after her feelings towards the figure as much as their recognisable qualities.

Tutored and mentored by Eduardo Paolozzi and Jean Gibson, Farhi is a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors and has exhibited at Gainsborough’s House and Beaux Arts London.

A limited edition of bronze casts from the busts are available for sale in an edition of 7.

Nicole Farhi: Writing Heads is part of the Edinburgh Art Festival,
25 July - 25 August 2019 edinburghartfestival.com @EdArtFest #EdArtFest

The Muriel Spark Society AGM

Our AGM will take place this coming Monday 3 June at 6pm. The location is once again the Saltire Society. Please note: subscriptions are due for renewal on the night.
After formal business is concluded, we will have a talk by Shane Strachan, and then on to dinner at Pizza Express on North Bridge. Hope to see you there.

Jazzy Spark at the Fringe

Saxophonist Raymond MacDonald is performing an intriguing interpretation of Spark at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. “Lie still my sleepy fortunes” will take place at the Pianodrome at the Pitt (Venue 391) on August 16 and 17 at 5pm. The performance lasts one hour.
£12 (£10)

Spark Book Group - Territorial Rights and My Venice

The next Spark Book Group will convene on Tuesday 9 April at 6pm. We will meet in the Saltire Society at 22 High Street, and will be expertly led once again by Joyce Caplan. Territorial Rights was studied for the annual quiz, so the homework should all be done! Please also read Spark's essay on Venice, which can be found in the collection, The Golden Fleece.
Gail Wylie will be freshly returned from Venice and is hoping to bring back some Spark associated booty. We'll also get in the mood with some Italian wine and nibbles. Do join us if you can.

Muriel Spark Society Wine Tasting

The Society presented a very successful wine tasting at the Scottish Arts Club last night. Many members attended, as well as guests invited by Committee member Bridget Stevens. This made for a good mix and a convivial time was had by all. This was in no small measure due to the expertise of Alan Johnston, our guide for the evening. After a heady start on prosecco, the various wines were presented in batches of two for very telling comparison. A Old World/New World debate ensued!
Fun prizes were presented, and a top one of fine wine went to one of the expert tasters. Our great thanks particularly to Alan and Bridget. Thanks to Lorna Statham for organising, prizes, and like Jack Reynolds, pouring so judiciously!

Spark Book Group - next meeting

The Muriel Spark Society Book Group next convenes on Tuesday 9 April at 6pm. Our title this time is Territorial Rights, her novel set in Venice. We shall also consider her brilliant essay on Venice included in The Golden Fleece (pp. 84-89). The discussion will be led by Joyce Caplan.
Refreshments will be served. Join us and do some excellent preparation for our visit! You are also very welcome if you can’t make the trip.
Location:
The Saltire Society
Fountain Close, High Street
Edinburgh

Tweet by The PWE and British Culture on Twitter

	The PWE and British Culture (@PWEpropagandist)
01/02/2019, 14:28 and to celebrate her birthday here's a NEW BLOG POST from ⁦‪@bealoplop‬⁩, on traces of Spark's wartime PWE service to be found in two novels deeply concerned with the appearance of truth ⁦‪@MSparkSociety‬⁩ wp.me/palUv2-3P pic.twitter.com/CVjVMYWL41

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Olga Wojtas goes to Morningside ...

A talk with Olaga Wojtas
Olga Wojtas was born and brought up in Edinburgh where she attended James Gillespie’s High School and inspired by Muriel Spark work. Her latest book, Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Golden Samooar is the ‘crème de la crème of crime fiction debuts’. (Edinburgh International Festival)
"Fifty-something Shona is a proud former pupil of the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, but has a deep loathing for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Shona is thrilled when selected by Marcia Blaine herself to travel back in time for a one-week mission in 19th-century Russia..."
She will talk about her book at Morningside Library.

        

Date and Time

Wed, 20 February 2019
14:30 – 15:00 GMT

Add to Calendar

Location

Morningside Library
184 Morningside Road
Edinburgh
EH10 4PU
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Happy 101st Birthday Muriel Spark!

Let the celebrations continue ...

Jessamine Davenport

We are very sad to announce the passing of our stalwart member Jessamine Davenport. Jessamine beguiled us with stories of her life. She was an indispensable part of our trip to Siena, and played host to the Sparkisti at her home. Thank you Jessamine.

Is it red or is it white? Celebrating Carnevale. Wine tasting -more details!

A Tutored Wine Tasting presented by the Muriel Spark Society.

Led by Alan Johnston, former President of the Scottish Wine Society and active member of the Institute of Wines and Spirits in Scotland, as well as holder of a Higher Certificate in Wine from the Institute of Wines and Spirits, Alan is highly qualified to act as our guide in what promised to be a fun, informal yet informative evening. It takes place in the exclusive Club Room of the Scottish Arts Club.

Tuesday 5 March 7.30-9.30pm
The Scottish Arts Club, 24 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BW.

£15

Book your place by 15 February with Spark Society Membership Secretary Lorna Statham at:lornastatham@btinernet.com

The Muriel Spark Society is planning a trip to Venice in March 2020. Organiser Martin Gray of Learn Italy Study Holidays will be present.

Wine Tasting Carnevale 5 March 2019

Join the Muriel Spark Society for a wine tasting at the Scottish Arts Club on 5 March at 7.30pm. It will be led expertly by Alan Johnston, former president of the Scottish Wine Society. The cost is £15.
Please register your interest with our Membership Secretary, Lorna Statham: lornastatham@btinternet.com.
Martin Gray from Learn Italy will join us to speak of our proposed trip to Venice in March 2020.

Muriel Spark @ 101: a roundtable at Harvard

Harvard University will hold a symposium on Muriel Spark and novel theory on April 23rd 2019.

The participants are listed below:

 

Timothy Bewes, Brown University

Marilyn Reizbaum, Bowdoin College

Kelly Rich, Harvard University

James Wood, Harvard University