ALAN BISSETT TO SPEAK AT YES EVENT
Written by author on May 6, 2014
One of Scotland’s leading writers will speak at a Dumfries community centre this week as part of a series of meetings for voters undecided about the independence referendum.
Alan Bissett, author of Boy Racers, Death of a Ladies Man and the Moira Monologues will be at Locharbriggs Community Centre on Friday 9th May at 7pm at the invitation of Yes Dumfries, the local campaign for a yes vote in September. The event is free to attend.
Bissett will be joined by Richard Arkless of Business for Scotland, which recently hit the headlines for forcing the bosses union the CBI to register as an anti-independence group. Locals will also hear from Willie MacDonald from Labour for Independence and Joan McAlpine, South of Scotland MSP.
Ms McAlpine said:
“Alan is a Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Writer of the Year and in great demand as a performer. It is fabulous that he is coming to one of our local community centres – he is a mesmerising speaker. Alan has won countless awards for his work but has chosen to devote this year to helping get a Yes vote in September. He is a socialist and he believes that the way to deliver fairness and prosperity for all us if the people who live in Scotland make all the decisions about what happens here.
“The meeting will give the public the chance to ask anything they want about independence and get straight answers.”
Bissett, who is from Falkirk, is currently rehearsing a play which will run at the Edinburgh Festival this August. Called “The Pure, The Dead and The Brilliant”, it features Elaine C Smith and a cast of young actors. The play is funded by public donations via the crowd-funding website indiegogo. It raised £15,000 worth in a few weeks and is supported by Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh.
Bissett is an ambassador for National Collective, the Scotland wide artists movement for independence. Speaking about his new play recently he said:
“The world’s media and international audiences will be watching to see what we have to say about it. I decided to do the play primarily because there’s only one month before the referendum and I wanted to use my voice and this platform to try and nudge people towards a yes vote.”
The Locharbriggs meeting is one of a number organised by local Yes groups. On 12th May, Mike Russell MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, will be at the Buccluech & Queensberry Hotel in Thornhill from 7pm. On 16th May, the former Labour MP Dennis Canavan will speak and answer questions at Kirkconnel Miners Memorial Hall alongside actress and Deacon Blue singer Lorraine McIntosh and on 29th May Jim Sillars, the veteran campaigner, former MP and widower of the late Margo MacDonald MSP will address undecided locals in Annan.
