Durham Conference 2026
The biennial John Buchan Society Conference, held 12-13th September 2026 in St John’s College, Durham, and attended by 29 members, was a conspicuous success, thanks to five brilliant and really thought-provoking talks on a wide range of topics under the general heading of ‘John Buchan: 1918 to 1935’.
Marcus Paul, editor of the Journal, pointed out the inequalities and paradoxes in the life and friendship of John Buchan with T E Lawrence, while John Stephens elucidated the longest and most puzzling of his novels from that time, A Prince of the Captivity. Conrad Prince, CB, considered what was secret service myth and what reality in JB’s post-war fiction, and Dr Peter Harland described the importance of Karl Barth’s theology to him. Finally, Dr Michael Redley answered the question as to why Stanley Baldwin thought JB would be no use in Cabinet.
There are plans to make these superb talks available to all the Society’s members in due course. I might add that the weekend was notably sociable and much enjoyed by those who attended, some of whom took the opportunity to stay longer and explore Durham.
Ursula Buchan