DR. JEKYLL and Mr. Hyde have been caught lurking around the streets of Edinburgh ahead of an annual event dedicated to the life and works of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Today acting students from Edinburgh Napier University were playing the part of the author’s most famous characters as they drum up support for next week’s RLS Day.
Organised by Edinburgh Napier University’s Centre for Literature and Writing (CLAW) in partnership with Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, this year’s RLS Day officially gets underway in the capital on Wednesday 13th November, Stevenson’s birthday.
A series of events are planned on the day including:
- Guided walks exploring Robert Louis Stevenson’s Edinburgh haunts
- All day reading of the author’s work at the Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Local school children will create a toy theatre at The Writers’ Museum
- Afternoon Tea will be served at Stevenson’s former home on Heriot Row
RLS Day will close with a special talk from Scottish crime writer Louise Welsh and broadcaster James Naughtie, who will discuss their lifelong fascination with Stevenson, his writing and travels. Tickets for the lecture, which will take place at the Royal College of Physicians at 7pm, can be purchased here.
Professor of Literature and Director of CLAW, Linda Dryden said: “Stevenson is one of the city’s most famous sons, but is often wrongly remembered only as a children’s author. Through RLS Day we wanted to raise his profile in the same way that Bloomsday in Dublin so successfully celebrated James Joyce.
“This year we have activities for all the family and we’re really excited to have Louise Welsh and James Naughtie on board.”
Ali Bowden, Director, Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust said: “RLS Day is our opportunity to raise a glass to one of our greatest writers and from its small beginnings in 2011, the event has grown into a citywide celebration. We think it’s the perfect way to celebrate the world-famous creator of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, a book that captures brilliantly the duality of Stevenson’s home town, its old and new town split, a city with a dark and light side.”
Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh’s New Town in 1850. Although he lived most of his adult life elsewhere, he remains one of Edinburgh’s favourite sons. After studying law at the University of Edinburgh, he decided to become a writer and went on to pen such classics as Kidnapped, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Treasure Island – which has never been out of print.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
