Welcome!

The Scottish Text Society is a major publisher of important texts from Scotland's literary history. Since 1882 it has played a significant part in reviving interest in the literature and languages of Scotland. The Society's editions are both scholarly and accessible. To date, the Society has published over 150 volumes, covering poetry, drama, and prose, from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The majority of its editions are in the high period of Older Scots literature, from 1500 to 1700. This website contains information on the full backlist, recent editions, ways to buy books, and guidance on how to become a member of the STS and support the Society. The STS is entirely funded by membership subscription, so please consider joining in order to maintain publications. As a registered charity (number SC021308), the STS welcomes donations. If you would like to make a donation, please contact the President, Nicola Royan.

Join the STS

The Society has members all over the world. Subscription rates are currently £40 for private individual members and £50 for institutional membership. View details »

Stay in touch

News about the STS will be broadcast in a number of ways. Members receive a regular newsletter, and the Society maintains a Twitter Feed and Facebook page. View details »

Recent Volumes

The STS is currently publishing its fifth series. The most recent volumes are:
19 The Eneados: Gavin Douglas's Translation of Virgil's Aeneid, Volume III: Books VIII-XII, by edited Priscilla Bawcutt, with Ian C. CunninghamISBN 9781897976449 [MORE INFO] [BUY MEMBERS] [BUY NON-MEMBERS] 2022
18 The Eneados: Gavin Douglas's Translation of Virgil's Aeneid, Volume II: Books I-VII, by edited Priscilla Bawcutt, with Ian C. CunninghamISBN 9781897976432 [MORE INFO] [BUY MEMBERS] [BUY NON-MEMBERS] 2021
17 The Eneados: Gavin Douglas's Translation of Virgil's Aeneid, Volume 1: Introduction and commentary, edited by Priscilla Bawcutt, with Ian C. CunninghamISBN 978-1-897976-42-5 [MORE INFO] [BUY MEMBERS] [BUY NON-MEMBERS] 2020
16 The Taill of Rauf Coilȝear, ed. Ralph HannaISBN 9781897976371 [MORE INFO] [BUY MEMBERS] [BUY NON-MEMBERS] 2019
15 Duncane Laideus Testament and other Comic Poems in Older Scots, ed. Janet Hadley WilliamsISBN 9781897976388 [MORE INFO] [BUY MEMBERS] [BUY NON-MEMBERS] 2016

Recent Reviews

The Taill of Rauf Coilȝear, ed. Ralph Hanna, ISBN 9781897976371, 2019

'[I]nterpretation of the complexity of the style and function of the poem is made convincing by Hanna’s insightful explanation and understanding of the central moral of the text'
'Overall, The Buke of the Howlat is an enjoyable Scots poem with a compelling introduction by Ralph Hanna.'

Helen Smith, Journal of the Northern Renaissance

'The strength of the new edition lies in Hanna’s commentary, with wide-ranging cross-reference, not only on language and metrical issues, but also on parallel textual problems observed in the manuscript transmission of other works.'

Patrick Scott, Studies in Scottish Literature, 46.1 (2020), 181-83

Duncane Laideus Testament and other Comic Poems in Older Scots, ed. Janet Hadley Williams, ISBN 9781897976388, 2016

'This splendid edition of eleven short comic poems in Older Scots, none previously appearing in a modern critical edition, helps broaden our sense of the rich literary culture of later medieval and Early Modern Scotland'.
'The edition is carefully produced, as is only to be expected by the high editorial standards of the Scottish Text Society'.
'Students of Older Scots literature owe Hadley Williams a debt of gratitude for giving these delightful comic poems the editorial care they deserve'.

R. James Goldstein, Journal of English and Germanic Philology, 118.2 (2019)

The Maitland Quarto: A New Edition of Cambridge, Magdalene College, Pepys Library MS 1408, ed. Joanna M. Martin, ISBN 9781897976401, 2015

'The edition provides a comprehensive look at the culture, textual history, and contents of the MQ and makes the details of the manuscript accessible to scholars of both Older Scots literature and medieval literature in general'.
'The up-to-date, comprehensive information included is a pivotal starting point for anyone studying Maitland’s poetry or the literary cultures of the MQ. Scholars and enthusiasts of Older Scots literature and literary cultures would be remiss if they fail to add this text to their library'.

Ruth M.E. Oldman, Journal of the Northern Renaissance.

Related Publications

The following is a selection of recent titles that draw on STS publications, or are otherwise related to the work of the Society. If you would like your book featured here, please send us a message.
The Buke of the Howlat. By James Robertson and Kate Leiper. Birlinn, 2016.[MORE INFO]Related STS volume: 5th Series, 12: Richard Holland, The Buke of the Howlat, ed. Ralph Hanna ISBN 9781897976395 [MORE INFO] [BUY MEMBERS] [BUY NON-MEMBERS]
Transforming Early English by Jeremy J, Smith shows how historical pragmatics can offer a powerful explanatory framework for the changes medieval English and Older Scots texts undergo, as they are transmitted over time and space. The book argues that formal features such as spelling, script and font, and punctuation - often neglected in critical engagement with past texts - relate closely to dynamic, shifting socio-cultural processes, imperatives and functions. This theme is illustrated through numerous case-studies in textual recuperation, ranging from the reinvention of Old English poetry and prose in the later medieval and early modern periods, to the eighteenth-century 'vernacular revival' of literature in Older Scots. Forthcoming from Cambridge University Press in April 2020.

News

21 Aug 2023

Advance publication notice: Rethinking the Renaissance and Reformation in Scotland, ed. by Steven J. Reid, will be published around March 2024. This collection of essays, in honour of Professor Roger A. Mason, critically re-assesses what we understand by the terms 'Renaissance' and 'Reformation' in Scottish History.

23 Jan 2023

Update to last year's posting: The STS is inviting expressions of interest for a new Administrative Officer (with a range of responsibilities for the day-to-day running of the society). The Administrative Officer will receive an honorarium. All details here in the attached PDF.

26 March 2021

We are very sorry to announce that Professor Priscilla Bawcutt, foremost authority on Older Scots literature and Vice-president of the Scottish Text Society, has died. Please read the tribute to her by Janet Hadley Williams.

6 October 2020

We are delighted to announce publication of Volume 1 of the new edition of Gavin Douglas's Eneados, edited by Priscilla Bawcutt with Ian Cunningham. This is the commentary volume, containing introduction, commentaries (including for the first time commentaries on the prologues), bibliography, and glossary. The Society hopes to publish the text volumes in 2021. Members of the Society will be receiving their copies over the next few weeks, so this is an ideal moment to renew your subscription or join the Society. The book is also available to purchase directly from Boydell and Brewer at £60.