University news

Scottish author, historian and statesman John Buchan would be the architect of a modern-day literary revolution.

His novel – The Thirty-Nine Steps – published in 1915 literally invented the spy thriller genre laying down a template that would influence everything from James Bond to Jason Bourne.

Buchan’s hero Richard Hannay was further elevated by Director Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film adaption. Ian Fleming too took notice of Buchan’s resourceful, quick-witted spy hero and the DNA of Hannay can be clearly traced in James Bond’s sophisticated resourcefulness as well as the masterful creation of spy thriller “chase” to escape his enemies.

Yet for all his influence on literature and cinema, Buchan himself placed greater pride in his other accomplishments.

Now for the 150^th anniversary of Buchan’s birth, Professor Murray Pittock of the University of Glasgow will paint a fascinating picture of a Scot who wasn’t just a literary legend but of a man who was well ahead of his time on issues that still resonate today from Scottish nationalism to the rights of indigenous peoples.

Professor Pittock, will present the Buchan 150 Lecture as part of the celebrations of the author’s birth, said: “What is fascinating is Buchan who wrote over 100 books and 1000 articles, was also juggling careers as a barrister, war correspondent, MP and even Governor General of Canada.

“But while John Buchan’s storytelling prowess has continued to keep his books in the public eye, what I find fascinating is that his political writing and thinking was so ahead of his time.

“For example in the early 20^th century he wrote about the importance of Scottish devolution (one of the greatest tasks of a Unionist government is to prepare on business lines a scheme of devolution’), world diplomatic relations, antisemitism and indigenous peoples’ rights. Many of his speeches and writing could be mistaken from modern day thought leadership pieces.

“He had a central role in many Scottish institutions, was an early supporter of Hugh MacDiarmid and an opponent of anti-Irish racism in Scotland, as well as campaigning for votes for women and an end to slum housing. He linked education to democracy and was a fierce opponent of authoritarian populism. By the beginning of World War II he was on the SS list as a Jewish sympathiser.”

Regarding British and American diplomacy, Buchan said in his autobiography: “Half the misunderstandings between Britain and America are due to the fact that neither will regard the other as what it is…a foreign country.”

He pushed hard to have Franklin D Roosevelt (US President 1933 to 1945) chair a European peace conference, only to be resisted by then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Buchan also described the Treaty of Versailles which ended World War I as “the most half-witted thing ever perpetrated’ – the severe sanctions of The Treaty created much resentment in Germany, which was exploited by Adolf Hitler in his rise to power at the helm of Nazi Germany.

John Buchan was born, 150 years ago this year on 26 August 1875 in Perth, Scotland. He studied at the University of Glasgow and Oxford before working both as a barrister and journalist.

During World War I, he served as a war correspondent for The Times as well as working for the Foreign Office. In early 1917 he became Director of Information (in charge of propaganda), a department which was made into a Ministry in 1918. He later served as a Conservative and Unionist Member of Parliament. In 1935, he was appointed Governor-General of Canada and became Lord Tweedsmuir. He passed away in 1940 at the age of 64.

---

The John Buchan 150 Lecture

The John Buchan 150 Lecture by Professor Murray Pittock will take place on Tuesday 11 March 2025 at 5.30pm. The free event is hybrid but only online tickets remain. Tickets can be booked on Eventbrite.

The event is part of the Centre for Scottish and Celtic Studies 2024-2025 lecture programme.

First published: 25 February 2025