ACCLAIMED Kilwinning author Andrew O'Hagan has been appointed an Honorary Professor of the University of Glasgow’s College of Arts & Humanities.

Andrew, famed for his books The Missing, Be Near Me and Mayflies, is set to take up the position immediately.

Part of his role will be to share his expertise and experiences as a critically acclaimed writer, novelist and essayist with students and academics.

As an admirer of Scotland’s national poet, who has published a book called “A Night Out with Robert Burns: The Greatest Poems”, Andrew will also be collaborating with leading Burns scholars at the award-winning Centre for Robert Burns Studies.

He said: "I feel proud and honoured to be able to serve the University of Glasgow, one of the great European centres of learning and a beacon of innovation and understanding worldwide.

“I look forward to bringing my experience as an author to the life of the students at Glasgow and joining this world-class body of scholars.”

Born in Glasgow, Andrew grew up in Kilwinning and spent much of his teenage years around Irvine, where his most recent book, Mayflies, was set. 

It was turned into an acclaimed BBC TV drama starring Martin Compston and Tony Currie in December 2022.

The former St Michael's Academy pupil still has strong ties to North Ayrshire, where he is patron of the annual Tidelines book festival.

Irvine Times: Andrew at the University of Glasgow

Last year, he returned to Irvine for Tidelines, where he helped Greenwood Academy pupils perform parts of Mayflies for the festival and was interviewed by former First Minister - and Dreghorn girl - Nicola Sturgeon.

Three of Andrew's novels have been nominated for the Booker Prize and he has won several awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Award.

He is editor-at-large of the London Review of Books, and is a contributor to Esquire, the New York Review of Books, and the New Yorker.

Dr Pauline Mackay, the university's current head of Scottish literature, and director of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies, said: “It's a real coup to have Andrew join us in Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow.

"We look forward to working with Andrew on impactful projects to further engage students and worldwide audiences with vibrant research and learning about Scottish Literature and Robert Burns Studies.”

Professor Gerard Carruthers, Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow, who helped to facilitate the partnership, said: “Andrew is one of the foremost writers of his generation, in long-form journalism as well as fiction and he is deeply engaged in Scottish and global culture.

"With his involvements at the very top of the transatlantic cultural industries sector, he brings unrivalled opportunity to our staff and student communities."