th January 2008

PEOPLE’S FESTIVAL CELEBRATES BURNS THE PEOPLE’S POET
The Edinburgh People’s Festival will mark the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns’ birth with a celebration of the poet’s radical views and activism. Former MSP John McAllion, comedian ‘Vladimir MacTavish’ and musicians David Ferrard and William Young will lead the tributes.
People’s Festival Chairman Colin Fox believes all are ideal guests at a celebration of Burns the radical.
‘Robert Burns remains a hugely important figure in Scots history and culture. His legacy is widely and sharply contested with even those establishment figures he hated trying to lay claim to his memory. We on the other hand will mark the true ‘homecoming’ of Robert Burns’. Scotland’s greatest poet was a man of the people, a political radical who, as well as writing beautiful lines of verse and song, was also well known as an abolitionist, republican and activist on the side of working people and the poor. He was, let’s not forget, blacklisted and victimised for his anti establishment views. He was a supporter of the French and American revolutions as well as the Scots reform movement led by Thomas Muir. John and Vladimir will explain further why Scotland’s greatest poet was forced to work, not as a poet, but as an exciseman, in order to pay the bills. And with music from David and William a wonderful evening’s entertainment is again in store from the Edinburgh People’s Festival.’

The Edinburgh People’s Festival Burns night takes place in the Great Grog Wine Bar on Rose Street on Sat 24th January at 8pm.

Order your tickets are via the website - £10 (£7 Concs) - meal included.