Scotsman 200: Literary characters captivate the world

To mark the 200th anniversary of The Scotsman, we are dipping into our archives to bring you a selection of some of the biggest stories of the last two centuries. This month we have recalled Scotland’s arts scene, reproducing The Scotsman’s original coverage of many of the most memorable events from the stage and screen to exhibitions, concerts and Edinburgh’s festivals. Today we look at some of the most famous novels from Scottish authors including Sir Walter Scott, Muriel Spark, JK Rowling and Ian Rankin. Scottish writing holds a distinguished position in the world of literature. Our poets, novelists, storytellers and biographers are read around the world. When Edinburgh became the first Unesco City of Literature in 2004, it came as little surprise. Auld Reekie has inspired over 500 novels including Ian Rankin’s Rebus books and Murial Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, abridged reviews of which are published here.