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About us

The Scots Language Society was founded in 1972 with a single mission: to promote the Scots language and literature by publishing the only magazine dedicated to new Scots writing.

Over five decades later, that remains our mission. Besides Lallans, we run an annual Scots-language writing competition, the Sangschaw, and we have also published a unique collection of Scots-language recordings in our Scotsoun series of CDs.

Furthermore, we have annual Conferences, where we gather together our members and hear talks on Scots-language culture and hear Sangschaw winners reading their own work.

Meet the Committee

• Rab WilsonPresident

  Rab Wilson is a poet who scrieves predominantly in the Scots language. He was born and remains in New Cumnock, East Ayrshire. He is also a playwright, newpapaer columnist and commentator on the Scots language.

• Joe CarstairsSecretary, Webmaster

  Joe has been in the Society since 2019. He is a Scots language learner and believes passionately that the Scots language belongs to everyone. He is from Perth but now lives in Edinburgh, where he lived since 2018.

• Tony BeekmanTreasurer

  By day, Tony puts in a shift as the Community Learning and Development Worker for a central Scottish council. He is also a trade union shop steward. Tony is a lifelong learner of philosophy and likes to reflect on it in the pub over a pint or a dram. This helps him to write short stories which he is chuffed to see in Lallans occasionally.

• David BleimanOrdinary Member

  David lives in Cramond on the Edinburgh Riviera. He is a poet, and is the winner of the 2020 Sangschaw Prize and 2023 McCash Prize for poems in Scots. He sells books on poetrykilt.bigcartel.com .

• Michael Everson

• William HershawLallans Editor

  William Hershaw is the current editor of Lallans. He is a well-known poet and singer . Brought up as a native Scots speaker in a Fife mining community, he believes that ‘the Scots language is for everyone’ and “if you lose your language you lose your self.’ All Scots language can give it a shot in Lallans. William can be contacted at w.hershaw678@btinternet.com .

• Derrick McClure

• Elaine MortonOrdinary Member

  Elaine is a past editor of Lallans and remains on the Committee to oversee the Sangschaw competition. Edinburgh is home and she has been with the Society since 1998. She would be pleased to see more women on the Committee, so, girls, don’t be shy to come forward!

• Colin Robertson

• Jack Stuart

• George T WattMembership Secretary

  George T Watt is a writer in Scots poetry, short stories and articles. He has been published in many anthologies and magazines as well as Lallans. He has also produced several recordings for Scotsoun.

Public­ations

We are one of the leading publishers of new Scots literature. Our most important publications are Lallans and Scotsoun.

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