As he reaches the half-way point of his two-year tenure as Edinburgh University’s writer in residence, Michael Pedersen reflects on some of the highlights of the last term

Edinburgh University’s term has come to an end, mass marking is underway and graduation day approaches with gusto. Many of the students that knocked upon my door will soon be shipping out of Edina, of Scotland, even Europe. But many are choosing to try and stay – searching for graduate opportunities, further study and choice jobs. It’s as exciting as it is daunting. All the same they have my admiration for fighting to sculpt a home here.

One of my most robust tasks this last term was judging the University’s three revered writing prizes, which cover prose and verse, English and Scots, and are open to current students and graduates (to varying degrees). The submissions flooded in and I want to take another opportunity to lionise the standard of the entries and commend the victors: Pollyanna Jackson, Emily Wheeler and Suzy Enoch, all of whose winning entries can be read online.

This term’s events were some of the most thrilling of my career. In particular two stowed out in-conversations with Alan Cumming (March) and Sara Pascoe (April). We packed full the Gordon Aikman Theatre (500-strong) for each sizzler of a night, with all the tickets being given out free and disappearing in around 24 hours. Suffice to say, we could have filled that space several times over.

Alan Cumming PIC: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Alan arrived in a blaze of glory, having been shooting a short film earlier the same day in which he was covered in cake icing, the sugary paste reaching his most delicate of regions. Our conversation was humour-laced, lilted, performative and deeply personal from the get-go. Using Alan’s biography Baggage as a conversational steer, we zested through his brief career at DC Thomson (in fiction then horoscopes), his abdication for the world of acting and the pace at which sublime projects came his way henceforth – Cabaret and The High Life to name but a few. Of course, we also talked about his role as a Russian villain in Goldeneye, and the juxtaposition of shooting with Stanley Kubrick in Eyes Wide Shut to the ensuing rambunctions of Spice World.

A palpably tender story about Sean Connery (the King of Scotland) declaring Alan his son (thus the Prince of Scotland) caused a collective “ooooooh” from the audience that thrums in me still. His opportunity to present Billy Connolly with the Great Scot Award (granted by National Trust Scotland) and thank him for his empowering use of the Scots language in the arts caused a sequel ripple of rapture even bolder than the first.

Basically, Alan Cumming is a beacon of lustre, charm and panache. I loved him then, more so now. The celebration dinner at Edinburgh’s Black Grape afterwards was a culinary thrill worthy of his splendour.

Next up was Sara Pasoce – one of my favourite comedians and a writer to be reckoned with, her books all under the great Faber stable. I’d hosted the hardback launch of her first novel Weirdo at EIBF last year, and this appearance was in celebration of its paperback arrival – which we had a covert mound of a couple of weeks early courtesy of the fab Lighthouse Books. The chat kept focussed on the novel and flew by.

Sara indulged me in a joint reading of the book in which we explored the kooky character of Dana (the protagonist’s sister who, among other things, sues her via the small claims court and hooks up with her ex). Sara read the FAQs of the dream wedding invitation justifying their no-children-in-case-they-ruin-the-day and if-you’re-vegan-best-bring-your-own-lunchbox policies. I read the follow up (hilarious) Crowdfunder plea to intended wedding guests after things don’t exactly go their way.

We also talked of Sara’s stunning new podcast with Cariad Lloyd called Weirdos Book Club, which is vital listening for all literary enthusiasts.

There was a huge Creative Writing Conference to finish the term with publishers, agents, freelancers and writers all sharing their knowledge of the industry. Now school’s out for summer, or until Edinburgh International Book Festival, for those sticking around…

To find out about forthcoming Edinburgh University writer in residence events, visit www.michaelpedersen.co.uk/events

Michael Pedersen on hosting ‘sizzling’ nights with Alan Cumming and Sarah Pascoe as Edinburgh University’s writer in residence