SPT's Subway poet-in-residence John Rice is going back to his Ayrshire roots for the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations in Ayr this weekend.

Performances and workshops

On Friday, January 23 he will visit Dalmilling primary school to deliver poetry writing workshops and perform his unique brand of comedic poetry and storytelling. John will spend the entire school day with pupils to provide fun-packed activities encouraging and inspiring them to pen their own creative verse.

The following day (Saturday, January 24) he will lead a family event in Ayr's Carnegie Library. Live performances at 11am and 1:30pm and are free to attend and suitable for all ages. Sessions will include John's own highly entertaining poetry and stories as well as some Burns songs.

Poets Centre Stage

The culmination of John's weekend activities is on the date of Robert Burns' birthday - Sunday, January 25 - just metres from the very cottage where the bard was born. John and acclaimed Scots poets Liz Lochhead and Stewart Conn will perform their own poetry and their favourite Burns poems at Alloway Village Hall. There will also be a chance for local people to take the stage.

This unique event, dubbed Poets Centre Stage, is a must for any lover of poetry, song and verse, and a fitting tribute to Robert Burns in the setting he wrote of so often. Entry is free of charge and the event starts at 2pm.

John Rice said: "What better way to celebrate the anniversary of one of Scotland's, indeed the world's, greatest poets than to engage with the writings of the current generation of professional poets?

"Burns has had a continuing influence on succeeding generations of writers. Liz, Stewart and myself are examples of Scots poets who have absorbed and utilised that influence to create our own unique poetic voices."

Liz Lochhead added: "I am really excited by this event and am thrilled to be doing a poetry reading in Alloway on Burns Day. I hope I will have time to look at the cottage while I'm there.

"We will each finish the reading with our favourite Burns poem. I'll probably read "To a Mouse" as it's the first Burns poem I fell in love with."

Stewart Conn said: "I grew up in Kilmarnock and my father's relatives were farmers, so a lot of my early works have a farm setting, just like many of Burns'. Poets Centre Stage will be a return by me to Ayrshire in the present with some poems about Ayrshire in the Past.

"I couldn't be more happy or excited, on the 250th anniversary of Burns' birth, to be reading his poems in Alloway. It will be magical."

All Ayr events are supported by South Ayrshire Council. Councillor Margaret Toner, Depute Leader of the Council and Portfolio Carrier for Economic Development, Tourism and Leisure, said: "I am delighted that John Rice is returning to his roots in Ayrshire to take part in Poets Centre Stage. To have John and other such well respected poets performing the works of our national Bard in the village of his birth will be truly amazing."

Bang on Bard!

This month John Rice will also launch SPT's Bang on Bard! poetry competition for Glasgow schoolchildren and young people. Entrants will be encouraged to write their own poems and verses inspired by the achievements of Robert Burns. Winners for age categories 5-8 years, 9-13 years, 14-15 years and 16-18 years will be announced in March.