2006

Our President in 2006/7 was:

Prof. Ian Campbell M.A, PhD

He proposed the Toast to Sir Walter at our 98th Annual Dinner on Friday 2nd March 2007 in The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh

Read the text of his address here > [bulletin] >>  [transcript]

Summary of the Speech:

The Toast explores Scott’s legacy through comparisons with other literary figures, notably Anthony Trollope and Thomas Carlyle.


Key points from the Toast:

  1. Scott's Influence on Literature: Campbell discusses Scott’s role in shaping the novel form, comparing him with other famous writers like Byron, Dickens, and Tennyson. He highlights Scott’s mastery of storytelling, as well as his professionalism and financial success, underscoring his contributions to the genre.
  2. Comparisons with Trollope: He draws parallels between Scott and Trollope, both of whom were highly prolific writers. Trollope, in particular, admired Scott's ability to produce such vast works without sacrificing quality, and Campbell uses Trollope's autobiography to reflect on how Scott’s novels influenced generations of writers and readers. He stresses that Scott's work, while filled with incidents and drama, was deeply grounded in human truth and sympathy.
  3. Carlyle’s Critical Perspective: Carlyle, another major figure in literary history, is portrayed as critical of Scott’s approach to writing. Campbell contrasts Carlyle’s more philosophical and reserved views on Scott with Trollope’s celebration of Scott’s ability to entertain and educate. Carlyle viewed Scott’s prolific output with mixed feelings, feeling that Scott’s literary genius had been diluted by excessive production, though he still acknowledged his personal integrity.
  4. Scott as a Professional Writer: Campbell emphasizes Scott’s professionalism—he wrote for both financial survival and literary legacy. This perspective aligns with Trollope’s view that good literature could be both entertaining and morally uplifting, contrasting with Carlyle’s belief that Scott's work was more focused on popularity than on deep intellectual or moral influence.


Interesting Points:

  • Scott’s Writing Habits: Scott’s tendency to write multiple works simultaneously and his need for “two currents of ideas” (as he mentioned in his letters) reflect his remarkable work ethic and creativity. This is notable because it speaks to the intensity and dedication he brought to his craft, despite personal struggles.
  • Carlyle’s Personal View: Carlyle’s grudging praise of Scott—acknowledging his popularity but questioning his intellectual depth—offers an interesting glimpse into the conflicting views of Scott's legacy. While Scott was admired for his ability to connect with readers, Carlyle struggled to reconcile this with his own high standards for intellectual and moral depth in literature.
  • The Legacy of Scott’s Novels: Scott’s ability to transcend his own time and influence later generations is a major theme in the toast. Campbell shows how Scott’s novels were enjoyed by diverse audiences, and how they were instrumental in changing societal attitudes towards fiction.


Overall, the Toast celebrates Scott as both a literary figure of immense talent and a professional writer who left an indelible mark on the novel genre.

Read the text of his address here in the [bulletin] >> [transcript]

Ian Campbell was born in Lausanne, where his father was minister of the Scots Kirk throughout the War, and educated in Swiss and Scottish schools, then Aberdeen (MA) and Edinburgh (PhD) Universities, joining the staff of Edinburgh's English Literature department in 1967. With spells as visiting professor in Canada, USA, Japan and Europe he has been there ever since, and became Professor of Scottish and Victorian Literature in 1992 and Professor Emeritus of Scottish and Victorian Literature and Professorial Fellow in 2009.

He teaches nineteenth and twentieth century literature (particularly fiction) and the Bible and Literature, both English and Scottish; he is one of the editors of the Duke-Edinburgh edition of the Carlyle Letters (now with 34 volumes complete) and has written extensively on Carlyle, on Victorian literature and on Scottish literature since Burns.