Alan Bissett to speak at Yes Dumfries Event

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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.