Simon Fraser University's Centre for Scottish Studies, in partnership with the United Scottish Cultural Society, invites you to join us at "A Robert Burns Celebration" on January 23, 2021 (sign on at 6:30 p.m.; program starts at 7:00 p.m.). It will be a spectacular event with piping by world champion Jack Lee, a singalong, tunes by local musicians, poetry reading and much, much more.  

Ever since Burns's friends first banded together to honour his memory in 1801, the Scottish poet and songwriter has been the focus of social gathering. This year, our celebration of Burns is very different, but it is perhaps more important than ever, as it reminds us all that we need, depend on and also just plain crave human connection. Burns Day 2021 takes place thanks to the technology of Zoom, and so in reflecting on that, our Director, Leith Davis, will be sharing a brief glimpse back to an earlier Burns event that joined people electronically: the 1859 Burns Centenary Celebration when members shared greetings using the new social media platform of the time: the telegraph. And you can also hear SFU MA student Taylor Breckles read a poignant poem by Burns about keeping connection even at a distance, "A Bard's Epitaph."  

Be sure to dress up and decorate your (non-virtual) background to express your connection to Burns and/or Scotland. There are prizes and also random draws. See you there! 

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To learn more and register, visit SFU Events: https://www.sfu.ca/sfu-community/events.html#!view/event/event_id/17017