Widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, The Bard is celebrated worldwide. A cultural icon around the world, celebration of his life and work became almost a national cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been
strong on Scottish literature. His poem (and song) Auld Lang Syne is often sung at Hogmanay and Scots Wha Hae served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Bob Dylan recently cited Burns as a big influence.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON One of Scotland's most revered novelists, as well as a poet, essayist and travel writer. His best loved tales, Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Kidnappedall reached the silver screen and a worldwide audience. He also wrote one of the first books to present hiking and camping as recreational activities and was greatly admired by the likes of Hemingway, Kipling, Nabokov and JM Barrie.
IRVINE WELSH Most of his writing is dominated by the question of working-class and Scottish identity. Within this, he explores the humour, prejudices, and axioms of the Scots. His first novel, Trainspotting, became a cult classic and apparently the most stolen item from Edinburgh's bookshops before becoming a film starring the young Ewan McGregor.
JOHN BUCHAN Best known for his novel The Thirty-nine Steps which Alfred Hitchcock adapted for film, the first Baron Tweedsmuir was also noted for his horror fiction. He was a historian, lawyer and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, too.
CHRISTOPHER BROOKMYRE Leader of the Tartan Noir school of writing, Brookmyre is irreverant, satirical, violent and enormously funny. His razor sharp pen shreds whatever pretensions politicians and Old Firm fans kid themselves with, and are worth the price of all of his 12 books so far, starting with Quite Ugly One Morning. He has been described as 'literature's answer to Tarantino'.
