Crime and Punishment: How Archives Can Inspire Fiction, with Dr Elaine Thomson.
In this week’s Open Book Podcast ES Thomson, author of “The Peachgrowers’ Almanac”, “Beloved Poison”, “Dark Asylum” and others, tells us how archives have inspired her and how the stories of real people from the past can help to develop and inform creative writing.
Elaine looks at some of the strange and remarkable case papers from 19th century Scottish courts she’s found in the NRS archives that inspired elements of her own fiction, including a man transported to Australia for the pettiest of thefts; a bodysnatching medical student with parental issues and a particularly tragic case involving the murder of a newborn infant.
Elaine’s talk is a great introduction to records held by National Records of Scotland and an insight into forgotten stories of a bygone era, whether you’re a budding writer yourself or just have an interest in crime, records or Victoriana.
Find out how to access historical papers from the criminal courts, along with a huge range of other records, at the NRS website.
Open Book, the National Records of Scotland Podcast, is now available to download via iTunes.
Recorded on 20 November 2017 at General Register House, Edinburgh.
Open Book 