University of Glasgow Starts Free Online Tartan Noir Course

The University of Glasgow has launched a free online course titled 'Tartan Noir: Scottish Crime Writing' for learners worldwide, including Indian students. The four-week program is hosted on the FutureLearn platform and requires no registration fee.

Course Details

Dr Craig Lamont and Professor Gerard Carruthers lead the academic program. The course explores storytelling techniques, plot twists, character development, and narrative styles behind Scotland's crime fiction tradition. According to a press statement from the university, the curriculum features interviews, discussions, and advice from leading crime authors such as Louise Welsh, Christopher Brookmyre, Lin Anderson, and Liam McIlvanney. The syllabus traces the genre's history from early roots in the works of Robert Louis Stevenson and Arthur Conan Doyle to modern bestsellers by Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, and Denise Mina.

Context

Free online courses offered by universities allow a global audience to access higher education without geographical barriers. The Scottish Studies department at the University's College of Arts & Humanities has previously launched digital programs on historical subjects like Robert Burns, Scottish clans, and Mary Queen of Scots.