Adam Smith: 250th anniversary of Wealth of Nations celebrated in Kirkcaldy
A landmark anniversary of Adam Smith’s renowned book, The Wealth Of Nations, gets underway in his home town of Kirkcaldy this weekend.
It was 250 years ago that his hugely influential book was published , and celebrations will include a symposium, music, a short film, heritage tours, and even a pub quiz.
Organised by the Adam Smith Global Foundation, the events take place at the Adam Smith Theatre and the Adam Smith Centre on the Esplanade.
The programme starts with the symposium at the theatre on Friday, June 5 where leading experts in economics will lead a full day of talks, discussions, and iadeas exploring the future of the economy and the legacy of The Wealth of Nations..
It is followed by an in conversation evening featuring Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, Ed Balls, former Chancellor, and journalist Stephanie Flanders on stage in the main auditorium. The flagship event will also feature a screening of a short animated film, A Boy From Kirkcaldy.
On Saturday, June 6, the theatre welcomes actors Arabella Weir and Elaine C.Smith in conversation with Sarah Brown about their careers.
It will also feature a sneak preview of the return of hit sitcom Two Doors Down which both star in.
There is an Adam Smith pub quiz at Betty Nicols on Thursday (June 4), as well as heritage tours on Friday and Saturday mornings, plus ‘The Evening Of Enlightenment’ at the Adam Smith Centre on Sunday, featuring music and poetry.
Langtoun Jazz is also joining the celebrations with a unique concert at the Old Kirk on Saturday when four vocal ensembles are set to combine to perform new music from another Fife stalwart, Richard Michael.
As part of Langtoun Jazz’s 2026 Proms, he was commissioned to write a new suite, and it combines jazz and choral writing with Scottish music which would have been very familiar to Smith in the 18th century. He has created new settings for five traditional tunes and songs from that period. Familiar songs such as Ae fond Kiss, The Skye Boat Son and The Piper O’ Dundee are arranged in styles as diverse as Bach, Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck’s Take Five.
Joining Richard will be a top jazz quartet featuring his daughter Hilary on violin and saxophone, Brazilian-born bassist Mario Caribe, and Dunfermline’s Tom Gordon, the long-term drummer with the BBC Radio Big Band.
The concert takes place the former kirk where Smith was baptised, and is also one of the early events in this year’s Langtoun Fest.
Full details from https://www.adamsmithglobalfoundation.com/