Tom Hubbard’s life comes home to Kirkcaldy

I remember being fascinated by the surroundings almost as much as the conversation. Tom is one of those people who seems to have collected not just books, but places, languages, stories and experiences.

Author, poet, academic, first Librarian of the Scottish Poetry Library and lover of languages, Tom has taught Scottish literature in Budapest, lectured across Europe and spent decades looking at Scotland and Kirkcaldy from different perspectives.

Now, walking into his latest exhibition at the Adam Smith Heritage Centre, I get that same sensation. Only this time, the books, photographs, maps, typewriters, manuscripts and memories have been gathered together in one place. It is, quite literally, a life on display.

‘Invitation to the Voyage: Crossing Oceans to Be Home’ takes its title from French poet Charles Baudelaire, and perhaps there could be no better description of Tom’s life.

“You need to see other bits of the map. And then you can come back with a perspective,” he tells me.

Tom has travelled far, but he has never quite lost sight of where he came from. He jokes that Kirkcaldy has never quite succeeded in getting rid of him. The prodigal son has returned. And what a return it is.

The exhibition takes visitors through decades of Tom’s life from childhood photographs and his student days in Aberdeen to his academic career, international travels, festivals, lectures and literary friendships.

There are maps representing places he has visited, photographs from Italy and Croatia, memories of Budapest and a wonderful story involving the House of the Red Hedgehog. It is the sort of detail that seems quintessentially Tom.

“It was so quirky that I just had to write a poem about it,” he tells me.

Perhaps that is one of the things I find most appealing about Tom’s work. He notices things.

“Just random things,” he says when I ask whether the quirky and slightly off-kilter things we encounter are often the most interesting things to write about. They are certainly the things that make this exhibition feel alive. But beneath the humour is something more reflective.

“What’s it like having all of those memories and achievements together in one place?” I ask.

“Scary.”

It is an unexpectedly simple answer.

For someone looking back over half a century of work, Tom admits that one of the things he has carried throughout his career is imposter syndrome.

“I’m constantly thinking, ‘Good Lord, I’ve not been caught out yet.’”

Yet there is clearly no intention of stopping. When I tell him that, looking around the exhibition, I’m thinking what a life and remind him that it isn’t over yet, he is quick to agree.

“Oh no. There are lots of things I intend to do yet.”

And perhaps that is the real message. This isn’t an exhibition about an ending. It is a pause. A moment to look at the map, remember where you have been and consider where you might go next.

There is also a strong sense of heritage running through the exhibition. Tom talks about memories of places and traditions that have disappeared, things that once seemed ordinary but have become part of our collective history.

“We need to keep as much heritage as possible,” he says.

That feels particularly pertinent in the Lang Toun where change is a constant fixture. The exhibition is hosted at the Adam Smith Heritage Centre, which Tom describes as a cultural force in the town, a place for exhibitions, conversations, walks and events.

Heritage Centre Manager, Justyna Majewska, has helped bring Tom’s story to life, taking an artistic approach to the display. Tom explains that she wanted the exhibition to be something visitors could experience visually, rather than simply a collection of books and papers.

Gordon Povey, General Manager of the Adam Smith Global Foundation, spoke of the Foundation’s commitment to heritage while looking enthusiastically towards the future of the town.

His invitation to visitors was simple: “Do have a good look around, have a chat with Tom, have a chat with us, and, of course, have a drink.”

And perhaps that is exactly what makes this exhibition special. It isn’t simply a collection of achievements. It feels like an invitation to step inside a life.

Because sometimes you have to travel a long way to see home differently. And sometimes, after all those years, you get to come home and tell us what you saw.

‘Invitation to the Voyage: Crossing Oceans to Be Home — An Exhibition of the Works of Tom Hubbard’ runs until October 16 at the Adam Smith Heritage Centre and is open Thursdays and Fridays.