Weel duin tae Rab Wilson wha hae bin nominatit in Scots Book o the Year sponsored by Scottish Book Trust in the Scots Language Awards. Vote now!
The Scots Language Awards are in the Cumnock Toon Ha, Cumnock in pairtnership wi East Ayrshire Cooncil on 14th September at 7pm. Tickets fir the ceremony are available tae buy here: https://eastayrshireleisure.com/events/scots-language-awards/.
We askit Rab Wilson o Rab Wilson thae speirins.
Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
Rab Wilson was born in the Ayrshire mining village of New Cumnock, on 1st September 1960.
His first work to bring him public recognition was his ‘owersettin’, in Scots, of the famous medieval Persian work ‘The Ruba’iyat of Omar Khayyam’ in 2004. The late Prof. Philip Hobsbaum (ex chair of English Literature, Glasgow University) described this work as ‘an astonishing feat!’
His first major collection of poetry, ‘Accent o the Mind’, was launched in Spring 2006, again published by Luath Press of Edinburgh, at Scotland’s leading poetry festival StAnza, held at St Andrews. This book was very well received and was described in Scotland On Sunday as containing ‘poetry to rival the best published in Scotland, or written by a Scot, in the past 30 years’.
Five more poetry collections have followed since then as well as an anthology (‘Chuckies for the Cairn’) of poetry in Scots by modern Scots poets.
In January 2013 Rab completed work on an extremely exciting film documentary project, ‘In Search of Robert Burns’, with Scottish Television. This was a project conceived by Rab where he engaged the services of Dundee University Forensic department (the world leading unit led by Professor Sue Black) to re-create the face and head of Robert Burns from one of the plaster casts that was made of Burns’s skull in 1834. The film allowed the world to see for the very first time how Burns actually looked in real life. The project was part-funded by ‘The Hunter Foundation’, one of Scotland’s leading philanthropic bodies, set up by Sir Tom and Lady Marion Hunter. The film documentary, presented by the well known Scottish actor David Hayman was broadcast in 2013, on the 25th of January, Burns’s Night.
In 2013 Rab was chosen as the recipient for the inaugural ‘James Hogg Creative Residency’ post, based at Ettrick Valley in the Scottish Borders. A new collection, ‘Hairst’, was published in 2014 containing new poems inspired by the residency.
In 2014 Rab was one of the three recipients of the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award for his campaigning on health issues in Scotland. Rab is an NHS Whistleblower and actively supports current NHS Whistleblowers.
In 2014 Rab created the film ‘A Sense of Wonder’ that celebrates the life and work of James Clerk Maxwell, the great Scots physicist and mathematician.
In 2017 he was made Scots Scriever (Writer in Residence) at Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, Ayr.
Rab worked with the late Professor John Brown OBE, Astronomer Royal for Scotland on a book about astronomy and the cosmos – science writing from Prof Brown, poems from Rab – entitled ‘Oor Big Braw Cosmos’. The book was published by Luath Press, Edinburgh in Spring 2019.
In 2024 Rab launched his book ‘Collier Laddie’ (on Luath Press) a powerful memoir of his experiences in the UK’s 1984-85 Miner’s Strike.
Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
It wis the language ah grew up wi… an speik evri day.
Why dae ye feel it is important tae use Scots in everyday life?
It's pairt o oor culture – wha we are as a people – whit maks us Scots!
Dae ye hae a favourite Scots phrase or saying?
Hooch Aye!!!
Is there a Scots speaker who inspires you?
Dr Jamie Fairbairn – teacher and educationalist.
Do you hear Scots spoken regularly in your local area? Have you noticed any changes over time?
Aye! Evri day! A wheen o the auld wirds are dwinin awa tho…
Ony particlar career heighlichts
Being awarded the Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun Award in 2023.
Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
Keep scrievin awa… an supportin the Scots leid!
Read more about Rab Wilson
http://luath.co.uk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/
The Scots Language Awards are in the Cumnock Toon Ha, Cumnock on 14th September at 7pm. Tickets are available to buy here: https://eastayrshireleisure.com/events/scots-language-awards/ There wull be some grand entertainmint oan the nicht tae, includin a recital fae Billy Kay, Susie Briggs, alang wi musical performances fae Claire Hastings an Sèan Gray.
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