Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for DC Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970. After going back to college, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on social security. It was here that he met John Wagner and a writing partnership was forged. Together, they penned hundreds of Judge Dredd’s weekly adventures in 2000AD and Grant has been writing for the title for more than 25 years, with many of the predictions made in his SF stories having come to pass in the real world.

Grant is internationally acclaimed for stories featuring heroes like Batman, Robocop and Terminator (based on the blockbuster Arnold Schwartzenegger movies). He is also the co-author of The Bogie Man, Scotland’s best-selling independent comic, and the recent comic incarnation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped.

The Edinburgh Lectures were launched in 1992 as part of a programme of events celebrating the UK’s Presidency of the European Union which culminated in the European Summit held in Edinburgh in December that year. The Edinburgh Lectures were such a success they have continued every year since.

Each series addresses a range of major public issues in a national and international context. Over 179 high-calibre speakers from home and abroad, including Stephen Hawking, HRH The Princess Royal, Mikail Gorbachev, Jackie Stewart and John Simpson, have provided insightful and stimulating contributions

The Lectures are led by the City of Edinburgh Council and presented in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, Napier University, The Open University in Scotland, National Museums of Scotland, the Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Executive and The Royal Society of Edinburgh.

The lectures take place throughout the autumn and winter and are open to the public.

• To book tickets for the lecture, go here.

• More comics events on the downthetubes events page