James Hogg (1770-1835) is increasingly recognized as a major Scottish author and as one of the most original and innovative figures in European Romanticism. In his lifetime the literary establishment condescended to him as the Ettrick Shepherd, a gifted but uncouth rural labourer, and his writings were bowdlerised and misrepresented throughout the nineteenth century. Only in recent years has the full extent of his achievement become visible, following the rediscovery of his masterpiece, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, and the appearance (since 1995) of a scholarly edition of his collected works. The Edinburgh Companion to James Hogg, the first reference book devoted to its subject, draws on recent breakthroughs in research on Hogg to illuminate the urgent debates and fruitful contexts that helped to shape his writings. Essays written by an international team of scholars provide an indispensable guide to Hogg’s career and worlds, publishing history, reception and reputation, his treatments of politics, religion, nationality, social class, sexuality and gender, and the diverse literary forms - ballads, songs, poems, drama, short stories, novels, journalism, letters - in which he wrote. Key Features * The first ever Companion devoted to James Hogg, who is emerging as a major figure in British Romanticism * The only work of its kind available, or likely to be available for the foreseeable future * An essential port of entry to the study of Hogg for scholars, students and general readers * Indispensable for teaching Hogg, who is increasingly featured in undergraduate courses * Provides thorough coverage of the whole of Hogg’s works, career, and contexts, as well as detailed considerations of his most famous work, Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner * Contributions are written by an international team of scholars, including nearly all the major figures in Hogg studies