The Crichton Writers is a collective of creative writers based in South-West Scotland. It has a history of regular publication on issues of local interest. Originally established on the Crichton Campus, this is the 20th anniversary of its founding.
In 1823 Dr James Crichton of Friars Carse died, leaving a legacy for charitable purposes with which his wife Elizabeth was to pursue their joint dream of founding a University in Dumfries.
This became, instead, the Royal Crichton Institution, opening in 1838, one of the pioneers of humane treatment of the mentally ill. It served as the County Asylum for some one hundred and sixty years before finally becoming the campus of higher education the couple had originally envisioned, and a space of enjoyment and learning for the people of the town which it has served.
This anthology of writings is offered as a commemoration of the bicentenary of that founding bequest and imagines, remembers and reflects upon the history of the place and its people.
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