Liz Everett, London Bureau

The possibilities for inspiration are present everywhere we go, just as we in turn leave a mark upon the places we visit. This weekend I traveled to Edinburgh on an overnight Megabus, which was an experience in and of itself, but the beauty of Scotland made it all worthwhile. Edinburgh is a compact and multi-layered city filled with charm, courtyards, and a whole lot of cashmere sweaters; it is a place that has inspired many writers with its picturesque views and quaint atmosphere, and every one of these writers has left his mark upon the city as well. One of the highlights of the trip for me was visiting “The Elephant House,” the cafe where JK Rowling first began writing about the Boy Who Lived. Unknown to Rowling at the time, Harry Potter would come to leave his own mark upon this little cafe in many ways; for example, the ladies’ room stalls are covered in Harry Potter-related graffiti, from favorite quotes to drawings to notes of appreciation to JK Rowling for how her writing had enriched so many lives.

I made several trips to that bathroom during our visit simply to marvel at how much influence a single person can have on so many from around the world and what a strong reaction of gratitude was present in that cafe WC. Of course, I had to leave my own little mark on the wall, and it struck me that, with my bit of purple crayon, I could be influencing another just as JK Rowling influenced me and as she was influenced by the Elephant House around her. How fitting it was to react to a person’s influence by influencing another in return. JK Rowling, sitting in a seat by a window through which she could see Edinburgh Castle, was inspired by the world in which she lived to enhance the worlds in which others lived. A short walk from the cafe, there is a graveyard in which several of the gravestones carry inscriptions that may have inspired her in the naming of her characters, albeit with some alternative spellings. There is a McGonagall, a Moody, and even a Tom Riddle. No matter how creative or imaginative the author, one cannot help but be influenced and inspired by the world around him. And people cannot help but be influenced and inspired by the books that they read.

While wandering through the city on Saturday afternoon, I discovered an old children’s bookshop that contained many early editions of some of my favorite childhood books, including The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Harry Potter and Anne of Green Gables. The bookkeeper overheard me talking about how much I loved the last book in the Anne series, and she asked if I would like to see a first edition. I responded that I would love to, and after she produced the gold leaf, illustrated edition of Rilla of Ingleside, I eagerly flipped through its pages and read a number of my favorite passages.

As I did, I remembered all the other times I had read these same words, and reflected on how they could mean different things to me at different times in my life. Words are powerful and although their influence changes through time, they remain forever the same, and reflect the world in which they were written.

The entire city of Edinburgh is a testament to the whole host of authors who lived and wrote in Scotland, and the Scots have erected monuments to Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns in response to their great works. Quotations from various Scottish historians, poets, and novelists adorn the city and are etched into stone slabs on the street or on the sides of buildings. The verses that were influenced by Edinburgh come back again to influence the city and its composition, and the circle of inspiration continues when a traveler, such as myself, becomes inspired by this.

Liz Everett is a junior PLS and English major studying in London for the semester. Whilst in Scotland, Lennay told her the truth about the Loch Ness monster. Contact her at eeveret1@nd.edu.