The Sense of Place and Blackwood’s (Edinburgh) Magazine

This article argues that social space, both virtual and real, was crucial to the conduct of Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine throughout its long history. The creation of a literary community and a love of conviviality and conversation was part of the Blackwood management style, as is demonstrated in the “Noctes Ambrosianae,” a famous series of imaginary conversations that ran in the magazine between 1822 and 1835. The second part of the article considers the significance of place more generally in the management of the magazine and the publishing business, arguing that from the 1840s Blackwood’s Magazine ceased to be an Edinburgh magazine in all but name, although Scottish authors and Scottish topics remained on the editorial agenda.