The 2021 Edinburgh International Festival's 'A Toast to the People' series commissioned ten spoken word artists to write a piece inspired by Gil ScottHeron and Brian Jackson’s ‘A Toast to the People’. Here, Hollie McNish performs her poem 'Backtrack' in Edinburgh's Innocent Railway Tunnel.

Not easily categorised, Glasgowbased Hollie McNish is a writer who loves writing. She has released two spoken word albums and a collection titled Plum since winning the UK Poetry Slam in 2009, and her new book Slug…and other things I’ve been told to hate was released in May of this year. McNish’s new poems often go viral, reaching millions on YouTube and she has also won the 2016 Ted Hughes Award for her poetic memoir Nobody Told Me.

Watch Hollie's full performance, alongside storyteller Wana Udobang, as part of our 'A Toast to the People' spoken word series from the 2021 International Festival for FREE. Part of At Home in partnership with abrdn: https://eif.buzz/31CWJjB