The Neil Munro Society was founded in 1996 to encourage interest in the works of Neil Munro (1863-1930). It organises an annual programme of talks and other events in Munro's home town of Inveraray and in Glasgow and attracts leading authorities on Scottish literature and history to address its meetings.
A growing membership in Britain and overseas testifies to the revival of interest in Munro and his work as a novelist, short story-writer, journalist, critic and poet.
A Munro Archive is being created to assist with research into Munro's life and work. Children's writing competitions are organised and a twice-yearly magazine ParaGraphs, with texts of lectures, articles, and other material of Munro interest is published. Members can also buy copies of all Munro titles currently in print at discounted prices.
On this page:Winter Meeting, AGM, Annual Conference, Letter to Members, Minutes, Membership, Society News
The minutes of the 12th AGM are now available on this site.
Minutes of Recent Society AGMs can now be viewed on a separate page - Click on Minutes
Dear Friends,
On behalf of the committee of The Neil Munro Society I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy New Year for 2010. Again, I am pleased to report that the society continues to flourish and we have, indeed, recruited ten new members since the AGM last June. The year’s activities have all been very enjoyable and extremely well attended. Thank you once again for your helpful suggestions for talks, publications and visits. These are very helpful when we are planning the year’s programme and help to ensure that it reflects the wishes of the whole membership.
Our Winter Meeting in 2009 took place as usual in the hospitable surroundings of The Glasgow Art Club where Ian Fraser of the School of Scottish Studies spoke to us on The Place-Names of Argyll and Prof John Corbett of Glasgow University on The Language of Neil Munro’s Fiction. On Friday, 3rd April many of us attended a wonderful celebration of the life of our late secretary Brian Osborne in Adelaide’s in Bath St., Glasgow - a great deal of the programme consisted of the reading and performance of Brian’s own work! Our AGM and Annual Conference took place as usual in Inveraray. The day started with tours of the town itself, followed by highly successful lectures on The Building of Inveraray and A Novelist’s View of Neil Munro from Aonghas MacKechnie and Carl MacDougall. On 19th September over 50 of us were made welcome by Robin Malcolm of Poltalloch to Duntrune Castle and in the afternoon archaeologist Steve Boyle guided our visit to Dunnadd. In addition to this, thanks to Finella Wilson’s sterling efforts, we all received ParaGraphs 25 & 26.
I am also pleased to report that 2009 saw the completion of one of the Society’s major objectives. With the re-issue the novel Fancy Farm by publisher Kennedy and Boyd all of Neil Munro’s novels and short stories are now back in print! The committee is now keen that an edition of Munro’s collected poems should be published and our member Bob Preston (who has a chapter in Exploring New Roads) has kindly undertaken to compile and edit this volume.
On a much sadder note I must record the deaths of three very loyal members which have occurred since our AGM. In June 2009 we lost the Rev Ian Renton, distinguished Edinburgh churchman and great champion of Scottish culture, and Lord Charles Davidson (better known to us as Kemp), distinguished advocate, Senator of the College of Justice and Chairman of the Scottish Law Commission. In November we also lost Mrs Adeline Clark, a native of Tarbert and faithful member of the Society from its earliest days. I know we all wish to convey our deepest sympathy to the members of their families.
Our 2010 programme will start with our Winter Meeting in The Glasgow Art Club on Friday 26th February where The Very Rev Allan MacLean will speak on Telford’s Churches in the Highlands and Ronnie Armstong will perform several Erchie sketches. Our AGM and Annual Conference will take place in the Argyll Hotel in Inveraray on Saturday, 8th May. The day will start with a visit to Dunderave Castle. In the afternoon after the AGM members will hear talks on Neil Munro and Contemporary Historical Novelists (Prof Douglas Gifford) and A Painting by William Dyce (Ken Mac Taggart), and in the evening the distinguished novelist Angus Peter Campbell will give us A Gaelic Novelist’s View of Neil Munro. In September it is proposed that we have an expedition to Keills in Knapdale to examine the collection of sculptured stones there.
In addition we are optimistic that the proposed weekend visit to Islay from 18th – 20th June will go ahead. Information and booking forms will be issued to all members as soon as possible.
Once again on behalf of the whole committee may I thank you for your enthusiastic support for the Society. Please keep suggestions for future activities coming in! We look forward to seeing you soon - hopefully at our Winter Meeting in The Glasgow Art Club on Friday, 26th February, 2010!
With every best wish.
Yours sincerely Ronnie Renton (Chairman)
ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN INVERARAY SATURDAY, 8th MAY, 2010
PROGRAMME:
10.00am Meet in Argyll Hotel, Inveraray for coffee.
10.30am Depart in shared cars for Dunderave Castle.
12.30pm Return to Argyll Hotel and lunch at your discretion.
2.00pm Annual General Meeting
2.45pm Neil Munro and His Contemporary Historical Novelists: Professor Douglas Gifford, Emeritus Professor of Scottish Literature, University of Glasgow.
3.30pm Coffee
3.45pm A Painting of William Dyce: Kenneth MacTaggart
4.30pm Free time in Inveraray please make your own arrangements for your evening meal.
7.00pm A Gaelic Novelist's Overview of Neil Munro's Fiction: Aonghas Padruig Caimbeul
8.30pm Quiz and in-house Ceilidh, Campbell Room, Argyll Hotel (Bring your clarsach and your moothie!)
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR VIEWS AND SUGGESTIONS.PLEASE VISIT OUR NEW BLOGSPOT: http://theneilmunrosociety.blogspot.com
ISLAY VISIT PROPOSAL
A Society visit to Islay on the weekend of 18th-20th June 2010. A varied programme centred on the Bridgend Hotel is proposed with something for everyone including illustrated talks on 'The Maggie', a ceilidh,Saturday night dinner, visits to some of Islay's historical sites and, of course, a distillery. We would hire a bus for the duration of the weekend and we could therefore leave cars on the mainland.
BOOKINGS ARE NOW BEING TAKEN AND THERE HAS BEEN AN ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE FROM MEMBERS. PLEASE RESERVE YOUR PLACE SOON TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.
THE NEIL MUNRO MEDAL
The Neil Munro Society Medal, which is awarded annually to the top student in Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow, was presented on 26th June 2009. This year's distinguished recipient is Melanie Buntin. We are especially pleased that our medallist, in common with Neil Munro, is a native of Argyll.Friday 26th February 2010
Glasgow Art Club, 185 Bath Street.
Thank you to everybody who braved the atrocious travelling conditions to attend this exceptional meeting.
We enjoyed meeting the members of the St Andrew Society of Glasgow who joined us to learn about Telford churches in the Highlands from the Very Reverend Allan MacLean whose infectious enthusiasm means that many of us will be examining Highland churches and manses for a long time to come.
Many thanks also to Ronnie Armstrong and Dave Harvey for their hilarious dramatisation of Neil Munro's 'Erchie'.
And as usual,thanks to the Glasgow Art Club for their hospitality.
Society News
LATEST NEWS
AUTUMN OUTING
Autumn outing to Duntrune Castle. Saturday 19th September
Thank you to everybody who helped to make this one of the Society's most successful Autumn events with special thanks to Robin Malcolm of Poltalloch, Steven Boyle of RCAHMS, Rev. Allan MacLean and Duncan Beaton whose expertise enriched the experience for us all. Thanks also to Anne, Brian, Duncan, Tom, Jim and Archie for sharing their photographs - see link below
A portrait of Neil Munro can now be seen prominently displayed beside the reception desk in the George Hotel in Inveraray.
Many thanks to the George Hotel, Archie Gray and Robert Stewart for all their hard work.
NEW PUBLICATIONS
We are delighted to announce that Kennedy and Boyd has produced new editions of The Brave Days and The Looker-On, George Blake's selections of Neil Munro's Journalism published in the early 1930s.
These titles are now available on the Society shop order form at £12.50 per copy.
Fancy Farm, the last of Neil Munro's novels to be put back into print is now available from the Society for £12.50 (rrp£14.95)
Mairi's Wedding, Peter Stickland's newly published innovative novel: a fairytale incorporating passages drawn extensively from the works of Neil Munro. Copies are available from the Neil Munro Society.
ParaGraphs no.25
Please accept our apologies for an error in the first photograph (on page 9) of the party who attended the unveiling of the Neil Munro memorial at Creag Dhubh, Glen Aray on 28th June 1935. As many readers have pointed out, the couple on the extreme right of the photograph are the Rev. and Mrs J. Finlay Dawson and not The Rev.and Mrs A.Gray.
PHOTOS FROM RECENT EVENTS
Some photos of the visit to Tarbert can be viewed on: http://vmphoto.photobox.co.uk/album/70861925
Historic Argyll can be viewed on: http://vmphoto.photobox.co.uk/album/29006974
Some photos of the Annual Conference visit to Kenmore and evening events can be viewed on: http://vmphoto.photobox.co.uk/album/29130921
Photos of the Society visit to Duntrune and Dunadd : http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/198407410
Annual conference and Dinner 2009:http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/112477736
Brian Osborne was building up the following weblog during the weeks prior to his death. To view please click on the following link: http://www.briandosborne.wordpress.com/
The A.G.M. Minutes can now be viewed on a separate page - Click on Minutes
Membership is open to all individuals, organisations, and institutions. Subscriptions for 2009 are:
Ordinary Membership £13.00
Unwaged/OAP/Student Membership £10.00
Institutional Membership £16.00There is a £3.00 surcharge for subscriptions paid in non-Sterling funds.
To join the Neil Munro Society or to book an event, contact the Society Secretary at:
Margaret Renton, Secretary
The Neil Munro Society
c/o 4 Randolph Road
GLASGOW G11 7LG
Tel/Fax: 0141 339 5425
e-mail: ronnierenton@googlemail.comCLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE FORM TO JOIN THE SOCIETY OR BOOK AN EVENT
site updated 27th February 2010