Editing Robert Fergusson at the 250th Anniversary of his Death

2024 was the 250th anniversary of eighteenth-century Edinburgh poet Robert Fergusson's (1750-74) death, bringing new interest in his life and works. As part of the commemorations, Prof. Rhona Brown is preparing a new edition of Fergusson's works with Dr Amy Wilcockson as Research Assistant, via the (2023-25). The edition, to be published by Edinburgh University Press, takes a divergent editorial route from previous editions by selecting first printed editions as copytext. In Fergusson's case, this means that our copytexts are generally from eighteenth-century periodicals, and particularly Fergusson's patron paper, The Weekly Magazine, or Edinburgh Amusement. In this session, Rhona and Amy will discuss the complexities of editing Fergusson, the ways in which we handle Fergusson's tragic biography and his very chequered publication history.

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