Susie Cochrane
Doctoral Student in Literature - Susie’s thesis is entitled ‘The Power of Music on the Literary Output of James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd’.
Research project title
The Power of Music on the Literary Output of James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd
Supervisors
Dr Meiko O'Halloran + Prof Catriona Macdonald
Contact details
Email: S.Cochrane3@newcastle.ac.uk
Research interests
- Romantic poetry
- Border Ballads
- Traditional fiddle music
A brief outline of my research project
My PhD thesis aims to understand the ways in which James Hogg’s creative practice and knowledge as a musician informed his literary work. To fully understand Hogg’s musical background, an important part of my research will involve a close study of the fiddle and dance traditions of the Border region, which informed his own song and tune compositions. I aim to demonstrate that it is his confidence and experience as a practitioner which accounts for the important function of music in Hogg’s literary output and I hope that my research will shed new light on another aspect of Hogg’s authorial identity.
Research activities
- The Long Nineteenth Century Group
- The 1700-1900 Writing Group
- Playing lots of traditional music in and around the Border region
Placements and Funding
- Working with Archives: Wordsworth Trust-Northern Bridge Consortium training and development symposium for doctoral students, 2024
Outreach Projects
- Glendale Ceilidh Band, (Musical Director)
- Wooler Arts Steering Group https://woolerarts.org.uk/
- What a Wonderful World Climate Action Group https://whataww.org/