Born in Kyle with Billy Kay and Robyn Stapleton

 Celebrated writer and broadcaster Billy Kay joins NessBookFest to reflect on a lifetime of language, identity, and belonging. A leading figure in the Scots language revival, Kay’s work has shaped how Scotland sees and hears itself. From Scots: The Mither Tongue to decades of powerful radio and television, his voice has championed the richness and value of Scots in everyday life.

Kay is a passionate proponent of the Scots language and the author of Scots: The Mither Tongue, one of the foremost books on the language. Kay shares insights from his most personal work to date, Born in Kyle, a moving tribute to his upbringing in Galston in Ayrshire’s Irvine Valley. With warmth and wit, he recalls working-class family life, childhood pastimes, coal fires, paraffin heaters, and the vibrant Scots speech that coloured every corner of daily life. Expect stories, reflection, and celebration of a language rooted in place and people.

In this talk, Billy Kay will be joined by singer Robyn Stapleton for an evening of literature and music in Scotland’s second most spoken language. Robyn Stapleton is a Scottish folk singer and song leader known for performing traditional songs in English, Scots, and Gaelic. A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of Limerick, she won the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician award in 2014 and was nominated for Scots Singer of the Year. Her albums include Fickle Fortune and The Songs of Robert Burns. Stapleton is also Musical Director of the Sangstream choir, leads community singing groups, and works as a music facilitator in health and care settings.