THE Edinburgh International Book Festival is marking the 200th anniversary of the publication of one of Scotland’s most influential novels.

James Hogg’s The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner was released in 1824 and is thought of as an early example of modern crime fiction.

It’s a complicated work, although broadly follows Calvinist Robert Wringhim who, under the influence of a man known as Gil-Martin, comes to believe he is guaranteed salvation and is justified in killing those he believes to be damned by God.  

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While the festival’s director Jenny Niven admits that the book has adapted something of a “cult” following, with many often engaging with the text in academia, its influence on Scotland’s modern crime-writing community is clear.

Ian Rankin (below) has previously named it as one of his favourite novels while Louise Welsh has played a major role in the festival’s celebration of the work.

Speaking to The National, Niven said: “People who know this novel really love it but if you don’t it’s maybe because it just hasn’t had its moment in the sun for long enough.

“It’s a very unusual, very experimental novel when you think about when it was written. It’s an extraordinary, strange wee book that in other parts of the world has taken its place.

“On the 200th anniversary, we felt it was the best time to bring it into the daylight once again.”

To celebrate the anniversary, the festival has created a series of six innovative events which will unfold throughout the festival.

The centrepiece is Perambulations of a Justified Sinner – an innovative event and app which takes people on an audio-visual tour through the streets of Edinburgh narrated by Welsh and featuring a soundtrack from Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite.

Niven explains: “This allows people to take their phone and go on a tour of the Old Town. As you encounter iconic locations, you can watch scenes from the novel that have been scripted and brought to life while you’re located in the spots around the city.

“It’s really experimental which I feel reflects the novel because it was so progressive in its time.”

Featuring eight filmed scenes directed by playwright and director Ben Harrison and Niven says she’s pleased to be able to help “showcase Scottish heritage and creativity”.

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She also adds that people should know they can buy a ticket to do the walking tour during the festival but it does not require a specific time and people can fit it into their schedule during a busy period for Edinburgh.

A number of other events have also been brought together to celebrate the novel, including New Myths (August 20), which uses folk music to reimagine the novel in contemporary times.

Elsewhere, produced in association with the National Theatre of Scotland, Extraordinary Trash: A Theatre Essay (August 18) will see playwright Pamela Carter and Stewart Laing return to archival material from their 2013 production of Hogg’s novel.

Another event, Justified Sinner Book Club (August 19) will see a panel, including Rankin, unpack the historic text and why it still holds relevance today.

This will be followed by Cut Up the Justified Sinner (August 21) – in which author Ever Dundas will re-examine the novel through experimental workshops – and finally a special Close Read (August 23) event.

Click HERE for more information on tickets and the app.