For those who are interested and/or in Vancouver in April:

Neal Ascherson Visit to Simon Fraser University Graduate Liberal Studies – April 2011

During the past two GLS courses in Scotland we have had the pleasure of spending time with the author, journalist, political observer and Scottish nationalist Neal Ascherson. Last year the students and alumni on the trip suggested that all GLS students and alums should have a chance to interact with Neal and as a result he will be with at SFU from 5-13 April.

Several seminars on topics of interest are planned for the Harbour Centre Campus and for the Lodge at the Old Dorm on Bowen Island. As well, Neal will be giving the Tartan Day Lecture on April 6th, sponsored by SFU’s Centre for Scottish Studies.

GLS students, alumni, faculty and friends have first call on each of these limited registration events (limited because they are meant to be discussion-oriented seminars rather than lectures)

• 6 April – Tartan Day Lecture – Fletcher Challenge Theatre – 7:00-8:30 PM. Admission free

7 April – Seminar on Heritage Issues (details tba) – 7:00 PM at SFU Harbour Centre– chaired by GLS alum Kerstin Stuerzbecher – registration $30

8/9 April – Seminar on Bowen Island on “The New Europe” (details tba) – from 5:00 PM Friday to 11:00 AM Saturday. Cost for dinner, breakfast, accommodation and seminar $160 shared/$200 single room. Chaired by GLS student Mike Sasges.

9/10 April – Seminar on Ascherson’s book Stone Voices from 5:00 PM Saturday to 11:00 AM Sunday. Cost for dinner, breakfast, accommodation and seminar $160 shared/$200 single room. Chaired by GLS student Barb Reece.

11 April – Seminar on “Devolution” (co-sponsored with the Institute for the Humanities) – 7:00 PM at SFU Harbour Centre – Chaired by GLS alum Ewan Clark – registration $30.

To sign for any of these events contact Wendy Sjolin at GLS (wendy_sjolin@sfu.ca or 778-782-5152). For more detailed information about the seminar topics and readings, contact Steve Duguid at duguid@sfu.ca

* Neal Ascherson has reported on Scottish and global issues for the Manchester Guardian (1956-58); The Scotsman (1958-59); The Observer (1960-75); The Scotsman (1975-79); The Observer (1980-89); and The Independent on Sunday (1990-98) and is the author of six books: The King Incorporated (1963/2001); The Polish August (1981); The Struggles for Poland (1987); Games with Shadows (1988); Black Sea (1995); and Stone Voices (2002). He is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books, the London Review of Books, the New Statesman, and Marxism Today and is the editor of Public Archaeology (2001-10) *