Thursday October 30th 2025
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, republished as part of Routledge’s World Library, a collection of classic literature for a popular audience, in 1886.
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
The National Library of Scotland is holding a ‘pop-up’ display of Frankenstein-related material on Friday 7 November, to coincide with the release of Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s famous novel on Netflix.
The star attraction is a letter from the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, to Sir Walter Scott. In the letter, Shelley corrects Scott for mistakenly assuming that the book was written by her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Library Curator Dr Kirsty McHugh said:
“Frankenstein was published anonymously in January 1818. Percy Shelley sent the book to Scott for review in ‘Blackwood’s Magazine’, and so Scott assumed Percy to be the author. Mary Shelley takes care to be tactful in her letter to Scott, letting him know the identity of the author lest the same error was repeated.”
Also on display will be items from the Library’s archive and printed collections demonstrating the enduring appeal of Frankenstein within the 19th century and beyond, including some of the early reissues of the work as it grew in popularity.
Library Curator Ian Scott said:
“I don’t think Shelley could have begun to imagine how popular her work would continue to be more than 200 years after its initial publication. The idea of a Frankenstein is firmly embedded in the public consciousness on a global level. Few novels can claim that.
“We have tens of millions of items at the National Library of Scotland, and so it would be safe to assume we have hundreds of items relating to Frankenstein in the collections. We look forward to sharing some highlights with visitors on the day.”
One of Mary Shelley’s most important champions in the 20th century was the Scottish writer Muriel Spark (1918–2006). The display will include items demonstrating Spark’s lifelong fascination with Mary Shelley. Other Scottish writers inspired by Frankenstein include Liz Lochhead, Janice Galloway and Alasdair Gray.
The display of manuscript and published works will be accompanied by silent screenings of movies made by Scottish amateur filmmaker Enrico Cocozza from the national collections on a rolling loop.
The display will take place for one day only – Friday 7 November from 11am until 4pm at the National Library at George IV Bridge in Edinburgh. No booking is required and entry is free.
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