Stories From Glasgow

There's no better place to study and research Fantasy than Glasgow. As the 10th cohort of Fantasy MLitt students graduate and the Centre of Fantasy & the Fantastic celebrates its 5th anniversary, we’re celebrating the literature of the impossible in the podcast’s season finale. Professor Dimitra Fimi, Professor Matthew Sangster, Dr Will Tattersdill and Dr Anna McFarlane join the podc...

In summer 2025, the world marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dr Tim Peacock returns to the podcast for an episode reflecting on the legacy of the bombings; from their immediate impact on Japan and the growth of nuclear culture in the US, to international relations and nuclear diplomacy in the decades after.   In the second half of the episode, Dr Pea...

Countless stories could be told about Kelvingrove Park and its ever-evolving role in Glasgow’s 850-year history and the lives of the city’s residents. In the early 1980s, it was home to Kelvin Wheelies, a skatepark once hugely popular with local teenagers and professional skateboarders from across the UK alike. Now, it lies hidden, buried at the heart of the park with few traces to signal its exis...

In 2020, Glasgow entered lockdown and life changed dramatically as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe. However, this was not the first time in the city’s 850-year history that a serious disease impacted Glasgow residents, as 1832 saw an outbreak of cholera spread across the city. Dr Matthew Creasy and Dr Megan Coyer join Dr Cia Jackson on the podcast to share the story of Glasgow’s 1832...

There have long been heated debates about how we treat our books – and what is and isn’t permissible amongst readers. Do you use an old receipt as a bookmark, or simply fold down the corner of a page? How about highlighting or adding sticky tabs to your favourite passages, or even adding your reactions - in ink – to the margins? But what if rather than damaging the book, those additions increase i...

Discover the Edinburgh poet who inspired Robert Burns, and whose impact extends well beyond the pages of his works to the city’s landscape, and even the treatment of brain injuries.  ‘The Collected Works of Robert Fergusson: Reconstructing Textual and Cultural Legacies’ is a two-year research project, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, and led by Professor Rhona Brown. As the 250th anniversary o...

Join us as we go on a deep dive into Gaelic periodicals, publishing, and language with Dr Petra Johana Poncarová.   Dr Poncarová introduces two figures who have played key roles in Gaelic publishing: Ruaraidh Erskine of Mar and Derick Thomson. From poetry and periodicals that spanned decades, to detective fiction, drama, and even a biology text book, listen now to find out more… &nb...

Join us as we set sail on a voyage that spans the literary and historical; exploring the fascinating, glamorous – and sometimes dark – world of the ocean liner in Professor Faye Hammill’s Ocean Modern research project.     Professor Hammill shares how the power and public fascination with the ocean liner has been captured in literature; and how real ocean liners - some even built on the...

Make sure your seat belt is fastened and your chair is in the upright position for take-off; we’re heading to Mallorca with Dr Guillem Colom-Montero.   Mallorca has long been a popular holiday destination, but what are the consequences of that popularity? From representation in art and culture, to conversations with local communities and changes in vocabulary, Dr Colom-Montero joins Cia to re...

Where can a PhD in History take you?    Dr Matthew Leeper, Managing Director and Founder of Education Evolved, and Student Enterprise Advisor at University of Glasgow, talks to Cia about his journey from student to entrepreneur.   Dr Leeper shares the pivotal moments, decisions, and passion for history that brought him to his current roles. Listen and trace Dr Leeper's ste...

What does it mean to live autonomously? And how can that autonomous life be supported when we reach the end of life?   Professor Ben Colburn is a political philosopher at the University of Glasgow and patron of the charity, and he joins Cia for a thought-provoking conversation about autonomy and end of life care.   Prof. Colburn talks Cia through the different factors which can...

Join us as we journey around Scotland with Professor Nigel Leask and Professor Mary-Ann Constantine (University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies). They tell the story of naturalist and antiquarian Thomas Pennant.   From negotiating language barriers and travelling with illustrators, to creating a network of correspondence to sate his curiosity. Pennant explored Scotl...

Roll a perception check – you may have found the latest episode of Stories From Glasgow...    Emma French is a PhD candidate in University of Glasgow’s Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic . Emma joins Cia for a conversation about transformative storytelling and Dungeons & Dragons. This popular roleplaying game is more than dice rolling and rulebooks; it's a powerful way to tell st...

How can walking help us to understand Glasgow’s hidden histories of empire?  Dr Rosie Spooner has been leading critical heritage walking tours of Glasgow since 2017. Centring on Kelvingrove Park and Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, the walks explore how Glasgow’s built environment and museum collections have been shaped by its involvement in chattel slavery, colonization and imperialism...

Think you know gaming? Think again.   The College of Arts is home to the UofG Games & Gaming Lab, with members from across the University and fascinating gaming projects in progress touching on countless different genres and subjects.  Dr Tim Peacock is one of the Lab’s co-directors, and he joins Cia to chat all things gaming, as well as share two projects he has led recently. P...

We’re travelling back in time to the ancient world with Dr Jane Draycott, as we discuss the use of prosthetics and assistive technology in classical antiquity.   What was the lived experience of people with disabilities and impairments? What were the different types of prostheses and assistive technology available? Who created them, and what materials were they made from?   Jan...

Whether you’re a member of Heughan’s Heughligans, or have yet to encounter Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling historical romance, it’s hard to deny that the Outlander series is a global phenomenon.   Professor Willy Maley is arguably the University of Glasgow’s biggest Outlander fan. He joins Cia, ahead of the University’s upcoming Outlander academic conference, to share his love for Diana Ga...

Stories From Glasgow podcast is back with a musical start for its second season.   Cia is joined by Dr Eva Moreda Rodriguez, who introduces us to the zarzuela and early recording in Spain. Find out about this musical genre, as well as how singers and musicians adapted their zarzuela performances towards the phonograph.   If you’re curious about what a phonograph recording of a...

Does digital technology hold the key to unlocking the past?     This episode we’re visiting Viking settlements and even a gaol with digital archaeologist, Dr Gareth Beale. He shares how archaeologists today are using digital technology to create immersive experiences at heritage sites and museums to help us form deeper connections to the past.     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

If you could travel to space, would you?    Get ready for an episode in zero gravity as we’re joined by Scottish author and poet, Oliver K. Langmead.  Oliver shares his experiences as the 2018 Writer in Residence at the European Space Agency in Cologne, and talks to us about his recent Creative Writing doctoral thesis work. We get a behind the scenes look at the creative processes a...

Did you know that you could be encountering the influences of Scotland’s Gaelic literature and not even realise it?  Scotland has a literary tradition that spans centuries and crosses borders. The influence of its shared Gaelic stories with Ireland can still be felt today. This episode, Dr Geraldine Parsons introduces us to this amazing literature through the medieval Irish Finn Cycle ( Fiann...

Move over Gotham, there’s a more important city in comic book history. Glasgow is home to the world’s first comic, The Glasgow Looking Glass, and in this episode, we’re uncovering its fascinating story.   Expect local landmarks, missing mummies and more, as researcher Danielle Schwertner and Professor Laurence Grove share some of their favourite extracts of the periodical, explaining wha...

Our first episode takes us on a deep dive into the Scottish knitting industry with the University of Glasgow’s Fleece to Fashion project team. Which iconic knitted garment found fame in Hollywood? Where in Scotland can you spin alpaca yarn? Who was really behind the knitting patterns of Bernat Klein?     You don’t need to be a knitter to enjoy this episode, but you may be inspired t...