James Hogg (Forest of Ettrick, 1770 - Altrive, 1835). Scottish writer. Before devoting himself to literature, he was a cattle herder. For this office he is known as "The Shepherd of Ettrick." Until he was forty years old, he devoted himself to rural work, living in extreme poverty. His training is self-taught. In 1810 he had to emigrate to Edinburgh where he edited the literary magazine The Spy, whose first issue appeared that same year. With the book of poems The Queen's Wake acquired certain notoriety, awakening the admiration of writers like Wordsworth or Byron. He was a friend of Walter Scott, who discovered the talent of Hogg when he contributed material for his work Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border (Songbook of the Scottish border). His poetic work has not had much relevance, however his novel Private memories and confessions of a justified sinner is a fundamental work of English literature.