A guide on how to become an independent nation-state

Citation

Graham H (2023) A guide on how to become an independent nation-state [Book Review of: Matt Qvortrup (2022) I want to break free: A practical guide to making a new country, Manchester University Press]. Bella Caledonia [Book review] 27.01.2023. https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2023/01/27/a-guide-on-how-to-become-an-independent-nation-state/

Abstract
First paragraph: Dressed like James Bond at a cocktail party, communicating with humour and clarity, Professor Matt Qvortrup is immediately more engaging than his academic profession might otherwise imply on paper. He is not your typical academic and his new book is all the better for it. At his book launch in Glasgow University Union, instinctively I find myself liking how he blends the interesting (style) with the intellectually informative (substance) in discussing how to create a new country. I message a Scottish political scientist to say I’m at the book launch and their view (knowing much more of his scholarly work than I do) resonates, “I like Matt. He is well worth listening to.” I sit with my neighbours from our block of flats in Glasgow, whose verdict at the end is the same, “very interesting and informative, well worth going out in the rain to hear him.”

Keywords
Scottish Independence; referendums; Scottish Politics; Scotland; Self-Determination; Campaigning

People

Dr Hannah Graham

Senior Lecturer, Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology