Alan Spence (born 1947) is a Scottish writer and is Professor in Creative Writing at the
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...
,
[ where he is also artistic director of the annual WORD Festival. He was born in Glasgow, educated at ]Allan Glen's School
Allan Glen's School was, for most of its existence, a local authority, selective secondary school for boys in Glasgow, Scotland, charging nominal fees for tuition.
It was founded by the Allan Glen's Endowment Scholarship Trust on the death, i ...
there, and much of his work is set in the city.
Spence is a poet and playwright, novelist and short-story writer, and has recently been commissioned by Scottish Opera
Scottish Opera is the national opera company of Scotland, and one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Founded in 1962 and based in Glasgow, it is the largest performing arts organisation in Scotland.
History
Scottish Op ...
to set words to a piece of music by Miriama Young.
His first work was the collection of short stories ''Its colours they are fine'', first published in 1977. This was followed by two plays, ''Sailmaker'' in 1982 and ''Space Invaders'' in 1983. The novel ''The Magic Flute'' appeared in 1990 along with his first book of poetry ''Glasgow Zen''. In 1991, another of his plays, ''Changed Days'', was published before a brief hiatus.
He returned in 1996 with ''Stone Garden'', another collection of short stories.
In 2006, ''The Pure Land'', a historical novel set in Japan, was published by Canongate Books
Canongate Books (trading as Canongate) is an independent publishing firm based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
It is named after the Canongate area of the city. It is most recognised for publishing the Booker Prizewinner ''Life of Pi''. Canongate was n ...
,[ and is based on the life of ]Thomas Blake Glover
Thomas Blake Glover (6 June 1838 – 16 December 1911) was a Scottish merchant in the Bakumatsu and Meiji period in Japan.
Early life (1838–1858)
Thomas Blake Glover was born at 15 Commerce Street, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire (council area), ...
who is allegedly immortalized in the story of Madame Butterfly
''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.
It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther ...
.
In 2022, ''Edinburgh Come All Ye,'' a collection of poetry, was published by Scotland Street Press.
Alan Spence is a member of the Edinburgh Sri Chinmoy
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose (27 August 1931 – 11 October 2007), better known as Sri Chinmoy, was an Indian spiritual leader who taught meditation in the West after moving to New York City in 1964.[Makar
A makar () is a term from Scottish literature for a poet or bard, often thought of as a royal court poet.
Since the 19th century, the term ''The Makars'' has been specifically used to refer to a number of poets of fifteenth and sixteenth cent ...]
.Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...
.[
]
Reviews
* Burns, John (1982), review of ''Glasgow Zen'' and ''Sailmaker'', in Hearn, Sheila G. (ed.), ''Cencrastus
''Cencrastus'' was a magazine devoted to Scottish and international literature, arts and affairs, founded after the Referendum of 1979 by students, mainly of Scottish literature at Edinburgh University, and with support from Cairns Craig, then a ...
'' No. 10, Autumn 1982, pp. 42 & 43,
References
External links
Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spence, Alan
Living people
Scottish scholars and academics
Devotees of Sri Chinmoy
1947 births
People educated at Allan Glen's School