Williamson and the Travellers

The Introduction to the book sets Duncan Williamson’s life into its social and historical context. Williamson is introduced not just as one of Scotland’s travelling people, but also as an active participant in the Folksong Revival of the late twentieth century and the Storytelling Revival of more recent years. He is thus one of a number of Travellers, including such other well-known figures as Jeannie Robertson, Belle Stewart and her family, Betsy Whyte, and Stanley Robertson, who came to be known and admired as keepers of an important part of Scotland’s intangible cultural heritage. The book is based on field recordings, made by Niles in the 1980s, that are transcribed here with scrupulous fidelity to Williamson’s spoken words and in a manner that reflects the give-and-take of lively social interactions. The book’s chapter-by-chapter substance consists largely of personal reminiscences by Williamson that have not been published before.