All About Annie: Our Annie S. Swan Roundtable
Recently, Editor Angela and some special guests got together to talk about the life and work of the great Annie S. Swan.
Annie is, of course, a “Friend” legend, and her story “The Inheritance” is the latest addition to our Classics Collection.
With that book selling well in the DC Thomson Shop, this was the perfect time to chat with some experts in fiction and women’s magazines.
Just a pity there was no actual table at this roundtable. Or, technically, there were three, since the meeting took place over Zoom!
Joining Angela were:
- Juliet Shields, Professor of British Literature at the University of Washington, with a special interest in Scottish women’s writing.
- Charlotte Lauder, a PhD student at the University of Strathclyde and the National Library of Scotland researching 19th century popular Scottish magazines, with a special interest in “The People’s Friend”.
Their discussion ranged from Annie’s impressive creative output, to examining the reasons why she was a commercial but not critical success.
Why have we largely forgotten her today? And what can we look forward to in “The Inheritance”? There are some fascinating facts in here for anyone interested in history and women’s fiction.
Click below to enjoy video of the “event”. We managed to edit out the cameo by Angela’s cat . . . this time!
Click here for more fascinating content from “The People’s Friend” Archives.
Click here for more on “The People’s Friend” Classics Collection at the DC Thomson Shop.
You can also subscribe to our Fiction newsletter to enjoy a story from our 151-year history sent straight to your inbox every week. We’ve even featured Annie in the past!
