Tha mi a’ tighinn air ais gu h-Alba an t-Samhain seo!
Or in English: I’m coming back to Scotland this November!
I’m delighted to be performing some of my poetry alongside another great poet, Marcas Mac an Tuairneir, as part of the Edinburgh Gaelic Festival.
Similar to our own Seachtain na Gaeilge festival, the Edinburgh Gaelic Festival (or ‘Seachdain na Gàidhlig’) celebrates Scottish Gaelic literature, music, and culture in Scotland’s most beautiful city. I’ve been to Edinburgh twice before, and both times have been a treat for the soul. To return a third time to take part in this festival will hopefully be no exception!
The name of the event is “Na Balaich Aighearach | Na Buachaillí Aeracha“, noting the fact that both Marcas and I are LGBT poets, writing in our respective Gaelic languages. Undoubtedly, being part of not just one minority, but two (the LGBT and Irish/Gaelic-language communities) is a theme that both of us have explored in our writing, but I’ll be interested to see the differences in our styles and topics, also.
Similar to myself, Marcas has been published a few times already, with his poetry collections, Deò, and Lus na Tùise. My own EILE Magazine reviewed his début collection, Deò, where his poem Sluagh-Ghairm (Battlecry) received particular praise for its power and style.
The event takes place on Saturday, November 10, at the Waverley Bar on St. Mary’s Street (EH1 1TA) from 8pm. Entry is free, and the event will be presented in a mixture of Scottish Gaelic, Irish, and English. I also hope to have some copies of my début poetry collection, Fás | Growth, available for sale at the event – airplane luggage restrictions permitting! If you’re interested in attending and are on Facebook, it would be great if you check out the Facebook event page.
Scott De Buitléir 
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