Scottish Writers' Centre The Scholarly Life of Robert Burns with Marc R Sherland

Burn is often referred to as the ‘Heaven taught Ploughman’, a term first used by Henry Mackenzie in 1786. How true is this sobriquet and what got in the way of him learning ‘mathematics and land mensuration’? Marc R Sherland will take us on a journey through the scholarly life of Burns with hints of the loves and passions that inspired him.

Marc R. Sherland is a humanist, performance poet, writer and folklorist. Sherland is an Ambassador of the Scottish Federation of Writers, a convenor of the Workers Educational Association, Chairperson of the Larkfield Community Centre in Glasgow, the Glasgow Writing Group in the Gallery of Modern Art Library, and the Tron Theatre based Word Factory. He is also the Coordinator of Glas-goes Poetic Festival. He jointly won the national 2006: ‘Glasgow 2020’ competition and in 2009 Maggie Craig, acclaimed novelist, awarded his short story, Tha Diel’s Merck, (a story written in Doric Scots), 1st place in the Castles in the Air competition run by the Scottish Association of Writers. He’s worked with the Maryhill Writers’ Group on a project commemorating the abolition of the Slave Trade that culminated in a commissioned anthology, ‘Reforging Broken Links.’ He has worked with Positive Mental Attitudes, inmates incarcerated at HMP Dumfries and has since joined the Scottish Prison Arts Network (SPAN). Marc travels to writing groups as a visiting tutor and delivers bespoke workshop sessions based on group and individual needs and outcomes.