Debatable Land is a 1995 novel by Scottish author Candia McWilliam.[1][2][3][4] It seeks to raise questions about the direction in which Britain (and more specifically the devolution project) is moving in the 21st century. The title refers to the debatable lands, land lying between Scotland and England when they were distinct kingdoms which perennially switched between English and Scots rule, before becoming an independent lawless territory ruled by warring clans. Set on a boat on the beautifully evoked South Pacific, the relations between the characters mirror contemporary devolutionary debates between the constitutive British states, particularly the relationship between England and Scotland.

Debatable Land
AuthorCandia McWilliam
PublisherPicador
Publication date
July 7, 1995
ISBN978-0-330-33662-8

The novel won the 1994 Guardian First Book Award.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "Debatable Land". Kirkus Reviews. 1 January 1995. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Debatable Land by Candia McWilliam". Publishers Weekly. 30 January 1995. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Debatable Land". Booklist. 15 March 1995. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  4. ^ Jack, Ian (10 February 2018). "The Debatable Land by Graham Robb review – the lost world between Scotland and England". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 August 2024.