''Debatable Land'' is a 1995 novel by Scottish author Candia McWilliam. 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 The Debatable Lands, also known as debatable ground, batable ground or threip lands,. lay between Scotland and England. It was formerly in question as to which it belonged to when they were distinct kingdoms. For most of its existence, the area ...

– 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

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

s. The novel is set on a boat on the beautifully evoked South Pacific, and the relations between the characters mirror contemporary

devolution Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territori ...

ary debates between the constitutive British states, particularly the relationship between England and Scotland. ''Debatable Land'' won the 1994 Guardian First Book Award.

References

1994 British novels Bloomsbury Publishing books Guardian Fiction Prize–winning works Home rule in the United Kingdom Novels set in Oceania {{1990s-novel-stub