Arts of Independence

Arts of Independence takes a hard look at the most neglected aspect of the argument for Scotland's distinctive national identity: the arts. The proposition is that music, painting, architecture, and, pre-eminently, literature are the fuel and fire that makes imagination possible. Following the success of Arts of Resistance, this new work by the same authors takes the argument over Scottish independence out of the hands of politicians and economists and beyond the petty squabbles of party politics. Moffat and Riach contend that health and trade are matters of material fact that need to be enlivened by imagination. For them the arts are not democratic or rational, but it is how we organise society that can help us approach what they have to give.

Alan Riach was born in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, in 1957. He studied at Cambridge and Glasgow and worked in New Zealand at the University of Waikato from 1986-2000. He is the author of Hugh MacDiarmid's Epic Poetry and Representing Scotland in Literature, Popular Culture and Iconography. He is currently the Professor of Scottish Literature, University of Glasgow, and President of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies.ALEXANDER MOFFAT is an artist and teacher. Born in Dunfermline in 1943 he studied painting at Edinburgh College of Art. He was the Director of New 57 Gallery of Edinburgh from 1968-78. A year later he joined the staff of the Glasgow School of Art where he became Head of Painting from 1992 to 2005. He is an elected member of the Royal Scottish Academy and the current Chair of RSA exhibitions committee. His exhibition of paintings entitled '7 Poets' toured throughout the UK from 1981-84. ALAN RIACH was born in Airdrie in 1957. He studied English literature at Cambridge University from 1976-79. He completed his PhD in the Department of Scottish Literature at Glasgow University in 1986. His academic career has included positions as a post-doctoral research fellow, senior lecturer and Associate Professor and Pro-Dean - Faculty of Arts, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand 1986-2000. He is currently the professor and Chair of Scottish Literature, University of Glasgow.