Born in Edinburgh, and trained as a lawyer, Walter Scott became an internationally popular poet, playwright and novelist. Scott’s influences include classical myths and legends, the German Romantics and the oral traditions of the Scottish Borders. His first published works were translations, and his most famous writing includes the poems ‘The Lady of the Lake’ and ‘The Lay of the Last Minstrel’.

His poetry is often narrative in style and tends to follow the rhythms and rhymes of the traditional ballad form. Although his poems are intended to be read rather than sung, there is an inherent musicality to the language.

In his forties, Scott concentrated on writing novels, including Ivanhoe, Waverley and Rob Roy,and he is now regarded by many as the father of the modern novel. His influence can be seen in writing by authors such as Elizabeth Gaskell and the Bronté sisters.