logo

The Financial Ruin of Sir Walter Scott.. and How He Got Out of It

Ray Perman

On 8th April 2021 we virtually hosted a talk by Ray Perman.

Ray Perman is a distinguished financial journalist who has reported for numerous publications, including the Financial Times. He is a former chief executive of the industry representative body, Scottish Financial Enterprise and a former director of the David Hume Institute. He is the author of Hubris: How HBOS Wrecked the Best Bank in Britain (Birlinn, 2012) and, more recently, The Rise and Fall of the City of Money: A Financial History of Edinburgh (Birlinn, 2019). He lives and works in Edinburgh.

Synopsis: In 1825 Sir Walter Scott was at the height of his power and fame. By January 1826 he was financially ruined with enormous debts that vastly exceeded his assets. How had it happened? Scott’s reaction had few parallels then or since. He admitted his mistakes and pledged to spend the rest of his life “working with his right hand” to pay his creditors. 

Buy the book here: [Birlinn]


Download the [Transcript]

Share on social media

Share by: