University honours poet

Published on 30/06/2012 12:00

AWARD-winning poet Douglas Dunn has received an honorary degree at Edinburgh University.

The Scots-born writer received a Doctor of Letters for his poetic achievements and literary criticism at a ceremony at the McEwan Hall.

Mr Dunn’s first collection of poetry, Terry Street, was published in 1969 and it made an immediate impact on the literary scene. He has received numerous awards, including Whitbread Book of the Year in 1985 for his collection, Elegies.

He became professor of English and director of the Scottish Studies Institute at St Andrews University in 1984, a post he held until 2008.

Also receiving a Doctor honoris causa at the same ceremony was Dr Vyacheslav Alekseevich Nikonov, executive director of The Russiky Mir Foundation, a Russian cultural body.

Earlier this week, Professor Sir Fergus Millar, Camden Professor of Ancient History Emeritus at Oxford, received a Doctor of Letters.