The Scottish Universities Press (SUP) will release its first two book titles which were produced in collaboration with University of Glasgow social science academics, marking a significant milestone in Scotland’s academic publishing landscape.

SUP is a newly established collaborative initiative, initially supported by a consortium of leading Scottish universities and offering a fresh platform for scholarly voices and innovative research. 

The first two titles to be released by SUP are ‘Conversations with Tim Ingold’ and ‘Digital Editing and Publishing in the Twenty-First Century’.

‘Conversations with Tim Ingold’, which was funded by the University of Glasgow, is a collaboration between UofG researchers and Ingold, one of the leading anthropologists of recent times. It features a series of engaging interviews undertaken by Dr Robert Gibb and Dr Diego Maria Malara (School of Social & Political Sciences) and Dr Philip Tonner (School of Education), exploring Ingold’s contributions to anthropology and other disciplines. Ingold describes the key influences that have shaped his life and career and addresses criticism that has been levelled at his ideas.

Tim Ingold said: "Academic writers often remain hidden behind their texts, rarely offering a glimpse of the personal struggles that drive their work. When we do catch sight of these moments, we discover that beneath the polished arguments and authoritative claims lies a mind wrestling with doubts, anxieties, and uncertainties—the true sources of creative inspiration. This book has given me the rare opportunity to not only to share my own vulnerabilities and insecurities but also to reflect on the process of how my ideas have evolved. For the curious and empathetic reader, I hope it provides some valuable insights into the highs and lows of my journey through anthropology."

Ingold’s interviewers explain further: "As colleagues from different Schools within the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow, we share a deep and long-standing interest in Tim’s work and wanted to explore his life and career in greater depth. From the beginning, we were committed to making our conversations with Tim about anthropology, education, and life accessible to as broad an audience as possible and not just to academics. We are thrilled that, with the support of the University of Glasgow Library, the book will be published by Scottish Universities Press in both print and open access formats, allowing readers worldwide to enjoy it freely."

Professor Bridgette Wessels, of the School of Social & Political Sciences, co-edited ‘Digital Editing and Publishing in the Twenty-First Century’. This book engages with a range of contemporary and important topics which are often neglected, including queer approaches to editing, accessibility and publishing in the age of artificial intelligence. It makes a significant contribution to the reimagining of the collective craft of edition making by offering reflections on the current and future state of the edition and how it is shared in contemporary contexts.

Professor Wessels said: “Working with colleagues from Universities of Cork and Sheffield, this edited collection generates new insights into the ways we write, publish and read in the contemporary period. We are delighted to publish with SUP because it supports access to new knowledge that fosters critical engagement with social and cultural issues as part of informed public debate.”

The debut titles showcase the breadth and depth of research coming out of Scotland and set the tone for SUP’s commitment to advancing scholarly excellence and accessibility in areas of critical importance to Scotland and the wider world.

Both titles will be available in print and open access digital formats directly from SUP and will also be distributed by leading academic booksellers.

The SUP is committed to advancing open access publishing, making high-quality scholarly research available to a global audience without barriers to knowledge, and increasing the impact of academic work. Nine titles are in the pipeline, and more are expected from the consortium, giving researchers even better opportunities to publish their research.

 


First published: 12 September 2024