Gerry Hassan is a writer, researcher, policy analyst and broadcaster, who has worked on a range of Scottish, UK and international subjects. His writings and research can be found at: www.gerryhassan.com

Gerry has headed up two significant and influential Demos programmes - Scotland 2020 and Glasgow 2020 - which have been celebrated and acknowledged across Scotland, the UK and further afield. Glasgow 2020 was a 'mass imagination' project - which was a world first - using the idea of the stories people tell to examine different futures.

He is author, editor and co-editor of twelve books on Scottish and UK politics, ideas and futures thinking. He is co-author of The Dreaming City: Glasgow 2020 and the Power of Mass Imagination (2007) and was co-editor of Scotland 2020: Hopeful Stories for a Northern Nation (2005). He is co-author of The Political Guide to Modern Scotland (2004); editor of The Scottish Labour Party: History, Institutions and Ideas (2004); editor of After Blair: Politics after the New Labour Decade (2007), published in association with Compass. Forthcoming publications look at the nature of the contemporary SNP in government, the state of Scottish Labour, and the changing character of the UK.

Recent research has included work on different aspects of Britishness and in particular, in relation to Gordon Brown, and examining different futures for the UK.

Gerry has also worked on numerous futures projects - inspired by the work of Scotland 2020 and Glasgow 2020 including working with the National Theatre for Scotland and Suspect Culture. He also works with a range of artists, cultural practitioners and imagineers exploring issues around arts, culture and the meaning of creativity. He is passionate about utilising the idea of 'mass imagination' and story to address how we can most effectively democratise the future. He would welcome enquiries from organisations, groups and individuals exploring ideas in this area and potential projects.

Gerry is also interested in engaging with and supporting others in the art of creative conversations, and to this end runs a twice yearly weekend in the setting of The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool called Changin' Scotland - which brings together discussions, music and film - and the idea of having a good time.

He is a regular commentator in the Scottish and UK media, speaker at events in Scotland, UK and internationally, an Associate Editor of the journal Renewal and an Honorary Research Fellow at Glasgow Caledonian University.

May 10

A Beginner’s Guide to Scottish Independence

Demos associate Gerry Hassan explains what Scottish Nationalism means for the UK and beyond.