New Tricks | Cumbernauld Library - BIlly Kay - A Guid Scots Tongue in Yer Heid
19 May 2026 - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PMCumbernauld Library
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Total places: 40Places available: 35Registration requiredFreeRegister for event New Tricks | Cumbernauld Library - BIlly Kay - A Guid Scots Tongue in Yer HeidAdd to calendar event New Tricks | Cumbernauld Library - BIlly Kay - A Guid Scots Tongue in Yer Heid
Join us at Cumbernauld Library for a new set of our hugely popular New Tricks sessions - a varied set of activities for adults.
Session details:
Billy Kay is one of the country’s greatest champions of the good Scots tongue. Here he will celebrate the history, the social history and the brilliant literature in the language from Dunbar through Burns to Lewis Grassic Gibbon and Hugh MacDiarmid. He will also show that Scots is a living literary and spoken language with vigorous and humorous readings from his latest work born in Kyle A Love Letter tae an Ayrshire Childhood. This is a great opportunity for people to come together and enjoy the guid Scots tongue in their heid.
Gey few scrievers hae duin mair than Billy Kay tae mak fowk awaur o the pouer o the Scots leid an the pleisure its speakers hae in celebratin it’s virr an beauty as pairt o their Scottish identity.
In thir events, Billy will delicht the audience by giein thaim stories fae their ain linguistic history through examples o Scots leiterature gaun back hunners o years – fae Dunbar tae Fergusson an fae Burns tae Grassic Gibbon. He’ll talk as weel aboot the social history o Scots an explore unco attitudes tae it fae its gowden era o the Makars tae the Scottish Cringe manifested by the likes o the Sook, James Boswell efter the Union. Fowk engage wi thir stories for they hae never heard ocht like thaim afore an they touch baith their heid an their hert.
As weel as that, he’ll shaw that Scots is still a leivin leid, giein ensamples o his ain scrievin fae his book Born in Kyle – A Love Letter tae an Ayrshire Childhood. Thir readins will range fae bairnheid memoirs that are sae thrang wi humour that they’ve been compared tae Mark Twain’s writin aboot Tom Sawyer an Huckleberry Finn… tae dowie stories like Inrush at Nummer Fower aboot a minin disaster in Billy’s hame toun o Gawston in 1924.
Luggin in tae Billy’s talk will gar fowk realise hou muckle Scots they hae fae their ain background, syne hou important it is tae hain it as pairt o their Scottish identity.
Billy’s books Scots The Mither Tongue, The Scottish World, Born in Kyle and Knee Deep in Claret will be on sale at the event. Cash sales only.
Gey few scrievers hae duin mair than Billy Kay tae mak fowk awaur o the pouer o the Scots leid an the pleisure its speakers hae in celebratin it’s virr an beauty as pairt o their Scottish identity.
In thir events, Billy will delicht the audience by giein thaim stories fae their ain linguistic history through examples o Scots leiterature gaun back hunners o years – fae Dunbar tae Fergusson an fae Burns tae Grassic Gibbon. He’ll talk as weel aboot the social history o Scots an explore unco attitudes tae it fae its gowden era o the Makars tae the Scottish Cringe manifested by the likes o the Sook, James Boswell efter the Union. Fowk engage wi thir stories for they hae never heard ocht like thaim afore an they touch baith their heid an their hert.
As weel as that, he’ll shaw that Scots is still a leivin leid, giein ensamples o his ain scrievin fae his book Born in Kyle – A Love Letter tae an Ayrshire Childhood. Thir readins will range fae bairnheid memoirs that are sae thrang wi humour that they’ve been compared tae Mark Twain’s writin aboot Tom Sawyer an Huckleberry Finn… tae dowie stories like Inrush at Nummer Fower aboot a minin disaster in Billy’s hame toun o Gawston in 1924.
Luggin in tae Billy’s talk will gar fowk realise hou muckle Scots they hae fae their ain background, syne hou important it is tae hain it as pairt o their Scottish identity.
Billy’s books Scots The Mither Tongue, The Scottish World, Born in Kyle and Knee Deep in Claret will be on sale at the event. Cash sales only.
Category:
Age restrictions:
16 years and above
Event:
Find it!
Total places: 40Places available: 35Registration requiredFreeRegister for event New Tricks | Cumbernauld Library - BIlly Kay - A Guid Scots Tongue in Yer HeidAdd to calendar event New Tricks | Cumbernauld Library - BIlly Kay - A Guid Scots Tongue in Yer Heid