“Imagined Spaces” started as conversations between Kirsty Gunn and Gail Low, both writers and teachers, who were increasingly disillusioned with the way that writing is taught in Humanities subjects. This, both feel, has resulted in students instrumentalising learning, with essays now associated predominantly with schoolroom assessment regimes, with an ‘aims and outcomes’ management of education.  

These critiques were carried into an exciting public exchange at Hospitalfield House in 2018 with internationally renowned essayists, artists, educationalists, architects, philosophers, publishers and also a range of young voices. In 2019, the RSE generously funded three workshops on the “imagined spaces” of essay. Two fed into a book and one drew from the published book. Some of the book’s contributors were recorded at RSE premises in Edinburgh, and can be heard on DURA.

These conversations led to a host of other events, staged in person, at various venues in Scotland, at the V&A Dundee, at Merton College, Oxford, and also online. And these events are just the start… 

We mean to carry on as we started, so drop us a line and be part of these conversations!