Isobel Murray is a Scottish literary scholar, Emeritus Professor 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 ...

. She edited the work of

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

and

Naomi Mitchison Naomi Mary Margaret Mitchison, Baroness Mitchison (; 1 November 1897 – 11 January 1999) was a Scottish novelist and poet. Often called a doyenne of Scottish literature, she wrote over 90 books of historical and science fiction, travel writin ...

. She also edited a series of interviews which she and her husband Bob Tait carried out with

Scottish writers This list of Scottish writers is an incomplete alphabetical list of Scottish writers who have a Wikipedia page. Those on the list were born and/or brought up in Scotland. They include writers of all genres, writing in English, Lowland Scots, Scot ...

, and wrote a biography of the writer Jessie Kesson.

Life

Murray gained her MA at

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 ...

. She then went to the

, where she became a senior lecturer and eventually professor. In 1976 she married fellow academic Bob Tait. The couple "formed a pair of literary lions, hosting memorable parties and discussions at their flat for guests such as novelists Archie Hind and

William McIlvanney William McIlvanney (25 November 1936 – 5 December 2015) was a Scottish novelist, short story writer, and poet. He was known as Gus by friends and acquaintances. McIlvanney was a champion of gritty yet poetic literature; his works ''Laidlaw'', ' ...

, who became the university’s first writer in residence at their suggestion." Murray's 2000 biography of Jessie Kesson won the

National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS) ( gd, Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba, sco, Naitional Leebrar o Scotland) is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. As one of the largest libraries in the ...

Saltire Society The Saltire Society is a membership organisation which aims to promote the understanding of the culture and heritage of Scotland. Founded in 1936, the society was "set up to promote and celebrate the uniqueness of Scottish culture and Scotland’s ...

Scottish Research Book of the Year award The Saltire Society Literary Awards are made annually by the Saltire Society. The awards seek to recognise books which are either by "living authors of Scottish descent or residing in Scotland," or which deal with "the work or life of a Scot or ...

Works

* (ed.) ''The picture of Dorian Gray'' by

. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1974. * (ed.) ''Complete shorter fiction'' by Oscar Wilde. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1979. * (with Bob Tait) ''Ten modern Scottish novels''. Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1984. * (ed.) ''Beyond this limit: selected shorter fiction of Naomi Mitchison'' by

. Edinburgh : Scottish Academic Press, 1986. * (ed.) ''The soul of man, and prison writings''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989. * (ed.) ''Scottish writers talking: George Mackay Brown, Jessie Kesson, Norman MacCaig, William McIlvanney, David Toulmin''. East Linton, East Lothian: Tuckwell Press, 1996. * (ed.) ''Complete poetry'' by Oscar Wilde. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997. * ''Jessie Kesson: writing her life''. Edinburgh: Canongate, 2000. * (ed.) ''Oscar Wilde: the major works'' by Oscar Wilde. Ocford: Oxford University Press, 2000. * (ed.) ''Scottish writers talking 2: Iain Banks, Bernard Maclaverty, Naomi Mitchison, Iain Crichton Smith, Alan Spence in interview''. East Linton, East Lothian: Tuckwell Press, 2002. * (ed.) ''Scottish writers talking 3: interviews with Janice Galloway, John Herdman, Robin Jenkins, Joan Lingard, Ali Smith''. Edinburgh: John Donald, 2006. * (ed.) ''Scottish writers talking 4: Jackie Kay, Allan Massie, Ian Rankin, James Robertson, William (Bill) Watson. Glasgow : Kennedy & Boyd, 2008. * ''Scottish novels of the Second World War'. Edinburgh: WP Books, 2011.

References

External links

Literature guest blog
Saltire SOciety, 9 April 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Isobel Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Aberdeen Scottish scholars and academics Scottish women academics English literature academics Scottish literary critics Scottish women literary critics Oscar Wilde