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Eiks an Ens 30

Annual Conference

The Annual Conference of the Scots Language Society will be held on Saturday the 3rd in the Sandeman Room, AK Bell Library, York Place, Perth, PH2 8EP. This year’s theme will be The Art of Flyting in Scottish Literature.

10.00 am
Registration and coffee.
10.30 am
Derrick McClure: Whit is Flyting?
11.15 am
George T Watt: The Flyting Hugh M
12 noon
Sangschaw 2023: prizes and readings.
12.45 pm
Lunch break.
2.00 pm
AGM of the Scots Language Society.
2.30 pm
Fred Freeman: Hamish Henderson’s Flyting o Life and Daith.
3.15 pm
Len Pennie: Contemporary Scots Literature.
4.00 pm
General discussion.
4.30 pm
Close of Conference.

The cost of attending the Collogue is £20. Contact George Watt on lallans@hotmail.co.uk or Elaine Morton on failte@go-plus.net.

Sangschaw 2023 Winners

The Robert McLellan Tassie fur Scots Prose

Winner

Aince by Jamie Purves

Rinner-up

Haymarket Wumman by Jerry Randalls

Ruisit

Bother wi a Babby Bird by Anne Jones

Benny by Andrew G Matthews

Kafka by Pete Fortune

The John MacPhail Law Tassie for Owersettin

Winner

A Sang tae the Heir by Derrick McClure

Jynt Rinner-up

The King o the Bees by Dorothy Lawrenson

Salome by Jerry Randalls

Ruisit

Mylkwiffe by Donald Adamson

Weddin Blessin by Gordon Davidson

A Dug wi Nae Maister by Tom Ellett

Seeven Auld Fodies by WS Milne

The Tale o Thorstein Grue by Colin Mackenzie

The Yirdin o Sorley MacLean by Derrick McClure

Propertius by John Erskine

The Hugh MacDiarmaid Tassie for Poesie

Winner

Roond Stane by Finola Scott

Jynt Rinner-up

The Black Loch by Robert Duncan Aliens by James Sinclair

Ruisit

Chale Shaw by Joe Carstairs

John MacLean’s Coat by Robert Duncan

Jock Tamson’s Luve-Bairns by David Bleiman

Bauk in the USSR by Alastair McLeish

Eldritch, Cretaceous Man Jinkin by Alan Millar

The Ootgaun by Hamish Scott

Mindin Joe by Jock Stein

The Ceremonie o Cairnholy by Donald Adamson

A New Sang by David Bleiman

Ahint the Haund by Kevin Connelly

The Marriage Lair by Irene Howat

Leid in ma Heid by Alan Millar

Wittins: Sangschaw, Lallans 102-103

Our own Lord Braxfield, Judge of the Sangschaw, will deliver his summary of this year’s happenings in Lallans 102. The word on the street is that the cranky old grump was pretty impressed by what was put before him. So keep at it, Scots writers - it vexes him no end to see the Scots language being put to such good effect! It’s not too early to start working on your masterpiece for next year. The winner of the poetry class is printed below, but the editor will endeavour to include as many entries as possible in the forthcoming Lallans 102/103. The summer number in particular will have an extraordinary and broad showing of further Scots writing, including an interview with Scots Radio broadcaster Frieda Morrison; Fred Freeman’s epic on Burns, Hamish Henderson and song; the final instalment of Sam Burns’ Deacon Broadie play and an abundance of thought-provoking poetry, stories, reviews and news concerning all the other ventures in the ever-expanding world of the Scots language.

The Galloway Hoard, Kirkcudbright Museum by Finola Scott

Winner of the Hugh MacDiarmid Cup for Poetry, Sangschaw 2023

Aw muscle and glaur, he’s preenin
An muckle boastin. Yi’d think
He wis the first. In he struts
Aw Cock o the walk,
King o Faithers, comb throbbin.

Aye unnerfit, he wants tae feel
Ma flutters, tae cup the load I coorie.
He brags aboot the hero it’ll be.
Weel mibbe, but fir noo it’s jist
A wee will o the wisp, ma treisur.

I shouldnae compleen, sure he broucht
thon gift - a wee baa. Its hollow jinglet
when I joogelt it. I thocht it a toy
fir the bairn. But naw, seems it’s tae ease
an bless the birthin. Whit a man.

Anthologies

The Scots Language Society is a registered charity run by volunteers. By being a member of the Society, you are already giving the Scots language a boost. You can help us further by purchasing one or both of our first-rate 50th-anniversary anthologies: contact our membership Secretary, George T Watt at lallans@hotmail.co.uk or Willie Hershaw at w.hershaw678@btinternet.com. Every book costs £12.99 including postage. Overseas orders incur an additional £5 for postage. Included is a selection of the best Scots poetry and prose from across 50 years and hundred issues of Lallans.