Scholars and enthusiasts will gather at the University of Glasgow’s Advanced Research Centre for a day symposium dedicated to the life, works and legacy of Scots poet Robert Fergusson this September. Braw Clan’s Martin Travers and Kieran McKenzie have been invited to speak at the event.

This symposium commemorates 250 years since the death of the influential poet, Robert Fergusson. A key Scottish poet of the eighteenth century, Fergusson’s career was prolific: despite having only six creative years, Fergusson’s output of over one hundred poems and songs is substantial. His poems were written in English and Scots, and often heavily influenced by his Edinburgh surroundings. His most famous poems include Auld Reikie, The Ghaists: A Kirkyard Eclogue, Leith Races and The Daft-Days.

With a mix of academic papers and creative contributions, the symposium will enable reflection on Fergusson’s works and legacies, and is part of the Leverhulme Trust-funded research project The Works of Robert Fergusson: Reconstructing Textual and Cultural Legacies. It is supported by the Centre for Robert Burns Studies and the University of Glasgow.

Martin and Kieran will close the event by discussing the rehearsed readings of Braw Clan’s Crown of Straw which took place in June with a cast of fourteen. Attendees will watch a mini documentary about the performance, including original music written by composer John Kielty and insights from director Jordanna O’Neill.

Martin will also discuss his approach to writing the play and Kieran will reflect on his experience of playing Fergusson.

Tickets for the symposium, which is free, can be booked online here.