The Burns Monument Centre will host an evening of talk, poetry and music in celebration of Robert Burns’s most famous work, Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect on Saturday 28th July, 7.30 – 9.30 pm.

Zoe Strachan, Reader in Residence at East Ayrshire Libraries, along with Library staff, will celebrate the significance of this literary masterpiece by hosting an event to mark the anniversary of its publication.

The evening will kick off with Professor Alan Riach talking about the Kilmarnock Edition’s significance in contemporary Scottish Literature. Poet Cheryl Follon will entertain the audience with readings from Burns as well as her own works. The celebration will culminate with music from actor Tam Dean Burn’s band, ‘The Bum-Clocks’ (Scots for “a flying summer beetle”). Their unique take on Burns songs mixes Burns with contemporary legends such as Iggy Pop and Bob Dylan, bringing a raw rocky intensity, while staying true to Burns’s earthy Scots dialect, humour and passion.

The event has been sponsored by the Jefferson Restaurant which will provide nibbles at the end of the performance.

Storyteller Amanda Edmiston is at the Burns Monument Centre on Saturday 28th July (11-12 and 2-3) for stories and Scots sing-along sessions for the under 5’s. Amanda will entertain with a fun retelling of the famous poem, perfect for the very young, using a wee bit of Scots, some bits we all know and love, allowing the tale to become something young children can relate to and understand whatever their age or language. The tale will be followed by a singalong session for everyone featuring Scots songs we all know well, and to round off Amanda will tell one of her own stories inspired by the Scottish landscape. Entry is free but ticketed – phone or