R L Stevenson memorial, W Gordon Smith and Muriel Spark

Category

Library Item

Item no

12571

Title

R. L. Stevenson memorial admired by W. Gordon Smith and Muriel Spark

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1989

Size

20.2 x 25.4 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

The Robert Louis Stevenson memorial was commissioned by the Stevenson Society in 1987 and sculpted by Ian Hamilton Finlay. It is set amongst silver birch trees in West Princes Street Gardens. Stevenson wrote in his letters that he did not want a large memorial.

Muriel Spark was born in 1918 at 160 Bruntsfield Place. In 1935, she attended Heriot-Watt College, where she learnt prècise writing. Muriel did not publish her first novel until she was 39, but is now regarded as one of Edinburgh's most celebrated authors. In 1989, she was awarded an honorary D.Litt from the University of Edinburgh, and was subsequently made a Dame. She died in 2006.

W Gordon Smith was born in 1928 and began his career as a newspaper journalist, joined the BBC in the late 1950s and became a producer for radio, then televison, making over 100 arts documentaries. He was also well known as a playwright. In 1980 he left the BBC and returned to journalism, becoming the arts and theatre critic for Scotland on Sunday in 1990, and also wrote biographies. He died in 1996.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Monuments > Memorial monuments

People > Adults > Men

People > Adults > Women

People > Entertainment and sports > Authors

People > Entertainment and sports > Writers

People > Famous people > Muriel Spark

Places > Edinburgh Landmarks > Princes Street Gardens

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Plants > Trees > Birch Trees