Through the story of his own family’s history as slave and plantation owners, Alex Renton looks at how we owe it to the present to understand the legacy of the past. His book, Blood Legacy explores what inheritance – political, economic, moral and spiritual – has been passed to the descendants of the slave owners and the descendants of the enslaved. He also asks, crucially, how the former – himself among them – can begin to make reparations for the past. Glasgow during the Eighteenth century, was already an imperial hub: as implicated in mass migration and slavery as it was in civic growth and social progression. Craig Lamont’s The Cultural Memory of Georgian Glasgow incorporates case studies such as the Scottish Enlightenment, the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Eighteenth Century Print Culture to investigate how the city was shaped by the emergence of new trades and new ventures in philosophy, fine art, science, and religion. They will be joined by Glasgow councillor Graham Campbell and Naomi Shoba for an important discussion about an uncomfortable period in our history.

 *This performance is live and will be available to watch for three weeks after the broadcast date to accommodate different time zones.

 This performance is included in the Aye Write 2021 festival pass, so you will not need to purchase this event if you have already purchased a pass.

Books are available to purchase from Aye Write’s bookseller partner Bookshop.org. Bookshop.org supports independent booksellers and for every book purchased 10% comes back to Aye Write and Wee Write, helping to invest in Glasgow’s book festival and reader development programmes.

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Aye Write 2021