Alexander Selkirk: Fiction's First Celebrity (Oct)

Alexander Selkirk, arguably the most famous castaway in history, was born in Lower Largo, Fife, 350 years ago this year.

Much has been written about his life but there is no unanimous agreement about the details of the story, given the dearth of written evidence. On the other hand, the fictional Robinson Crusoe, drawing heavily on the story of Selkirk’s four-and-a-half years on a Pacific island, is so well known that the real Alexander Selkirk is hard to find.

Using the available evidence, Ronnie Graham brings the story of Alexander Selkirk to life in an attempt to decide what kind of man he was – hero, anti-hero or ‘skellum’.