- Following 4.4K
- Followers 8.1K
- Engagement 1.58%
- Avg likes 143
- Avg comments 3
About The Alasdair Gray Archive
The Alasdair Gray Archive (@thealasdairgrayarchive) is an Education creator on Instagram, also filed under Pets. The account has 8,132 followers and 1,725 published posts. Recent posts average 143 likes and 3 comments, an engagement rate of 1.58%.
The Alasdair Gray Archive belongs to the nano tier, the band usually drawn between 1,000 and 10,000 followers. The Alasdair Gray Archive follows 4,413 accounts, so the audience is roughly 1.8 times the size of the list followed. The Alasdair Gray Archive is set up as an Instagram business account. Flinque files The Alasdair Gray Archive under Education, with Pets as a secondary category.
The Instagram bio for The Alasdair Gray Archive runs to 17 words. The bio mentions @sorchadallas. The latest activity Flinque has on record for The Alasdair Gray Archive dates from May 2026.
Story Highlights
Unlocking shows the title and cover image of every story highlight this creator keeps pinned to the profile.
1,725 Posts
Of the 10 most recent posts shown for The Alasdair Gray Archive, 6 are single images and 4 are carousels. That mix leans toward single images. The Alasdair Gray Archive has built a substantial archive of 1,725 posts. Against the audience, that is roughly 4.7 followers for each post published. The Alasdair Gray Archive also keeps 7 story highlights on the profile. All 10 carry captions, averaging 185 words each. The captions are written mainly in English. Words that recur across them include work, part, alasdairgray, life and agnes. The captions tag #alasdairgray, #thealasdairgrayarchive, #agnesowens, #theagnesowensarchive and #bethmckillop.
It was a real privilege to spend time with Beth over the last few years, she shared memories of Alasdair researching the lost language of Patagonia and spoke about his donation of Hippo prints to the Victoria and Albert Museum during her time as Keeper of Asia. Beth also kindly arranged a visit for us with Ian Murray and Annie Good, long-time friends of Alasdair whose memorable dinner parties became places for conversation, creativity, and the exchange of ideas. That visit remains an afternoon we will always remember.
Beth McKillop had an extraordinary career in museums, collections, and cultural scholarship. She served as Deputy Director of the V&A from 2011–2016, lectured and published widely on the arts of China and Korea, and later became a Senior Teaching Fellow at SOAS University of London and Senior Research Associate at the V&A. She also served as President of the Oriental Ceramic Society from 2018–2021 and was a Trustee of National Museums Scotland from 2022.
Educated in Glasgow, Cambridge, and Beijing, Beth combined immense knowledge with warmth, generosity, and deep curiosity. She will be greatly missed, our thoughts are with her family 💔
#bethmckillop
#alasdairgray
#thealasdairgrayarchive
This first session brought participants together to explore overlooked voices, archives, and creative response through the work of Alasdair Gray and Agnes Owens
We spoke about writing with influence rather than simply writing after a text, using creative commissions from The Alasdair Gray Archive as inspiration. Participants began reflective journals and took part in a “Hidden Voice” free-write exercise, creating characters and perspectives often ignored or silenced.
A thoughtful, generous start to the programme with powerful conversations, bold writing, and a brilliant group ethos already beginning to form.
Huge thanks to everyone who joined us and especially for the wonderful facilitating✨
#writinginthemargins
#alasdairgray
#thealasdairgrayarchive
#agnesowens
#theagnesowensarchive
Erin had first encountered Alasdair’s work in her class ‘The Glasgow Novel’ which sparked her interest in taking part in our placement.
Her placement allowed her to undertake independent research which included tasks like contacting existing archives to inform her work and researching Gray’s connection to his friend and fellow GSA graduate Ian McIlhenny. Her research led her to write a new biography on Ian’s life connected to a recent donation. The discussions surrounding Gray and collaborations within the archive have been especially beneficial for her work. A highlight for her has been meeting other admirers of Gray while working in a supportive environment which values her creative ideas.
While seeing the behind-the-scenes of running an archive has been an invaluable experience moving forward into her career. We wish her the best!
#alasdairgray
#thealasdairgrayarchive
#studentstories
I was also joined in conversation by Agnes’ son John Crosbie, and Sorcha Dallas - custodian of the Alasdair Gray and Agnes Owens archives.
We recorded the event for A Kick Up The Arts - thanks so much if you were in our wonderful audience - so if you’d like to hear more about Agnes’ life, and books, and the impact she’s had on some of the most exciting and inspiring voices in contemporary Scottish literature - it’s all right here!
Listen wherever you get your podcasts or at the link(s) in bio.
#AgnesOwens #AKickUpTheArts #ScottishLiterature #ScottishCulture
Photo credit: the lovely
Today, 24 May 2026, marks 100 years since Agnes Owens (née McLearie) was born in 1926. A century on, her voice remains as sharp, compassionate, darkly funny, and quietly radical as ever.
Owens wrote with extraordinary clarity about working-class life, womanhood, loneliness, friendship, labour, survival, and the small indignities and moments of tenderness that shape everyday existence. Her stories refused sentimentality while remaining deeply humane, finding humour and dignity in lives so often overlooked. Though modest about her achievements, her work has had a lasting influence on Scottish literature and continues to resonate with new generations of readers, writers, and scholars.
We feel privileged to have launched earlier this year and to play a small part in the growing efforts to bring renewed care, attention, and celebration to the life and work of such a remarkable woman. The archive exists not only to preserve her legacy, but to encourage more people to encounter her writing, her history, and the communities and experiences that informed her work.
On this centenary, we remember Agnes Owens not simply as an important literary figure, but as a singular voice whose work continues to speak powerfully to the present. We hope this anniversary encourages many more readers to discover — or return to — her stories.
Happy 100th birthday, Agnes Owens.
Design by our GU Creative Connections intern Eva Casey
#agnesowens
#theagnesowensarchive
Simon appeared in the 2010 stage production of McGrotty and Ludmilla, for which Alasdair Gray created illustrated portraits of the cast for the programme brochure. During this process, Gray began using Simon’s likeness as the visual model for Sir Arthur Shots — the notorious “spider with a face” — a design that would later appear in all subsequent versions and prints of the character. Gray also enjoyed using this ‘moral emblem’ so much he used it as part of his tile frame design at the SPT Hillhead mural.
In Gray’s satirical novel McGrotty and Ludmilla, the spider imagery is central to the story. Through his marginal drawings and illustrations, Gray depicts this manipulative, web-spinning figure as part human and part spider, reflecting the novel’s themes of bureaucracy, power, and social entrapment within a contemporary Scottish fairy tale inspired by Aladdin.
Simon’s visit helps fill in an important chapter in the evolution of this iconic image. We’re now hoping to record an oral history interview with him to help preserve and document the story in his own words.
#alasdairgray
#thealasdairgrayarchive
Sue is a hugely influential Glasgow-based artist and performer whose multidisciplinary practice spans visual art, music, spoken word, and live performance. Known for her distinctive use of language, repetition, rhythm, and improvisation, her work moves fluidly between text, voice, installation, and experimental music, creating performances that are both playful and deeply immersive.
Over several decades, Sue has been an important figure within Glasgow’s contemporary art community, inspiring generations of artists through her fearless and inventive approach to performance and language. It was a pleasure to welcome her into the archive!
#alasdairgray
#thealasdairgrayarchive
Before starting their placement, Beck was interested in working within an artist-focused archive but had no prior knowledge of Alasdair Gray. Over the past few months, they’ve explored his life and work in depth, gaining insight into his creative process and impact on Scotland’s cultural landscape.
Beck highlighted how AGA’s values of Equity, Sharing, and Openness shaped their experience creating a welcoming, inclusive environment where collaboration and community are central. They said, “being in an open and inclusive work placement has made me feel very welcomed at AGA. Seeing and working with a variety of people has made the place quite exciting and inviting.”
Reflecting on the placement, Beck shared that the experience has helped clarify their future career direction and provided meaningful, practical insight into day-to-day archive work.
Thanks for being part of the AGA community, Beck!
#alasdairgray
#thealasdairgrayarchive
📣 The Agnes Owens Archive – Centenary Talk
Venue: North Balcony Room in Kelvingrove
FREE🎟️, please email to book a ticket
On the 100th birthday of Scottish writer Agnes Owens, Kelvingrove are hosting SGSAH-funded PhD researcher, Laura MacDonald, who has been supporting the development of the new The Agnes Owens Archive, housed at The Alasdair Gray Archive.
With the book covers for Owens’ A Working Mother and People Like That designed by Alasdair Gray on display in Kelvingrove, this talk will discuss current research and projects on Owens, the development of her archive, and the programme of events happening throughout 2026, curated by AGA/AOA custodian Sorcha Dallas, which celebrate her life and literary legacy.
IMAGE 1: 'A Working Mother' 1994 by Alasdair Gray - cover for the novel by Agnes Owens
Glasgow Life Museums’ collection. © The Estate of Alasdair Gray
A stylized painting of two people sitting at a small table against a plain, pale background. The woman on the right has a glass of yellow liquid front of them. The man on the left holds a lit cigarette in one hand, a thin line of smoke rising, while the other hand rests on a glass filled with a dark drink. The contrast in their postures suggest a moment of quiet tension or contemplation between them.
IMAGE 2: A promotional poster for “The Agnes Owens Archive Centenary Talk.” The top section displays several institutional logos, including the Alasdair Gray Archive, University of Glasgow, The Agnes Owens Archive, University of Strathclyde, and the Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities. Centred text announces the event title, speaker Laura MacDonald, and details: Sunday 24 May 2026, 1-2pm, North Balcony Room, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow. The lower portion features a simple line drawing of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum’s façade.
#AgnesOwensArchive #AlasdairGrayArchive #AgnesOwensCentenary #KelvingroveTalks #Expression
This session forms part of our IDL pilot project, developed in partnership with staff from Gray’s former school. We explored field drawings and the ways Gray mapped his local area to shape major works such as ‘Cowcaddens Streetscape in the fifties’ using original items brought in from our collection. Learners then experimented with these ideas themselves, creating a large-scale collaborative drawing mapping their own area.
Looking forward to returning next week! Thanks to Miss Mitchie for all her support and delivery of this project 🙌
#alasdairgray
#thealasdairgrayarchive
The Alasdair Gray Archive's engagement
The Alasdair Gray Archive's engagement rate on Instagram is 1.58%, between 1% and 3%, or 1 to 3 likes and comments per 100 followers. On a typical post that comes to about 1 like or comment for every 63 followers. An average post collects 143 likes and 3 comments, close to 48 likes for each comment.
Engagement rate
1.58%
- Avg likes
- 143
- Avg comments
- 3
- Interactions : followers
- 1 : 63
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Frequently asked questions
These answers about The Alasdair Gray Archive are generated from the Instagram profile data Flinque holds for the account.
Who is The Alasdair Gray Archive?
The Alasdair Gray Archive (@thealasdairgrayarchive) is an Education creator on Instagram, also filed under Pets. The Alasdair Gray Archive is set up as an Instagram business account. The Instagram bio for The Alasdair Gray Archive runs to 17 words.
How many followers does The Alasdair Gray Archive have?
The Alasdair Gray Archive has 8,132 followers on Instagram (8.1K). The Alasdair Gray Archive follows 4,413 accounts, so the audience is roughly 1.8 times the size of the list followed. The Alasdair Gray Archive has built a substantial archive of 1,725 posts.
What is The Alasdair Gray Archive's engagement rate?
The Alasdair Gray Archive's engagement rate on Instagram is 1.58%, between 1% and 3%, or 1 to 3 likes and comments per 100 followers. On a typical post that comes to about 1 like or comment for every 63 followers. An average post collects 143 likes and 3 comments, close to 48 likes for each comment.
What does The Alasdair Gray Archive post about on Instagram?
Flinque files The Alasdair Gray Archive under Education, with Pets as a secondary category. Of the 10 most recent posts shown for The Alasdair Gray Archive, 6 are single images and 4 are carousels. The 10 recent Instagram captions Flinque holds for The Alasdair Gray Archive repeatedly use the words work, part, alasdairgray, life and agnes. The Alasdair Gray Archive's captions carry hashtags such as #alasdairgray, #thealasdairgrayarchive and #agnesowens. The Alasdair Gray Archive writes those captions mainly in English. The Alasdair Gray Archive keeps 7 story highlights, which open with a free Flinque account.
How do I contact The Alasdair Gray Archive for a collaboration?
The Alasdair Gray Archive's contact details are not published on Flinque's public profile. The Instagram bio links to 1 external site, and a free Flinque account opens that link. The account is registered as an Instagram business account. Brands with a free Flinque account can shortlist The Alasdair Gray Archive and use Flinque's outreach tools wherever a contact route is on file.
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The Alasdair Gray Archive's own Instagram profile is the one outbound link Flinque publishes for the account, and the bio link opens after signing up.
Public profile data sourced from Instagram. Flinque is not affiliated with The Alasdair Gray Archive.