PIG UPDATE #26
15th of February 2026
Welcome to the anniversary edition of PIG. It's been one year since I made my idea for a poetry community resource reality and I am elated by how well it's been going. It's been brilliant to see subscriber and follower numbers tick up - not just on social media but also via the official PIG newsletter. Thanks so much for everyone reading, following and sharing PIG.
But before I get carried away with emotion, let's get down to the real important things. Here's your rundown of local events and exciting opportunities.
Events (16 February to 1 March 2026)
Ross Wilcock's Curler's Cosy Corner at Curler's Rest on Byres Road is ringing in the poetic week. The monthly open mic night is back on Monday, 16 February at 7pm. Expect the usual friendly and inclusive atmosphere. The open mic event is now ticketed, so make sure you reserve your free spot before heading over. If the journey to the West End is too daunting in the Glasgow winter weather, you could also consider joining the online open mic by Laurie Bolger. She invited Troy Cabida for this edition of Poetry in Pyjamas.
The long-running open mic poetry night at Sweeney's on the Southside is back on Wednesday, 18 February. Meron McCardle has picked up the baton and will be running the event this month and next. They are also looking for new team members to take on the event going forward, so if you fancy getting involved, reach out! As before, it'll be a beginner friendly night with 5min reading slots. Doors are at 7pm. The weekly Poet's Corner open mic at Hillhead Bookclub is happening the same evening. This week's theme is 'nightmare'. If you are rather longing for a quiet night of writing, you might also want to consider joining the monthly writing session at Mount Florida Books. The 2h session starts at 6pm and booking is essential.
On Thursday, 19 February, Polly Atkin and Wordsworth Grasmere are inviting for the final session of the monthly Discover Poetry online reading group which has been running since March last year. The free online sessions usually centre around the changing seasons and current events and offer a selection of classic and contemporary poems to discover and discuss.
Tuesday, 24 February is bursting with poetic opportunities. The weekly Midnight Verse open mic night is returning to the Drake with more details on featured artists still tbc. Also happening the same evening is an online event organised via the Milton Keynes Literary Festival which celebrates LGBTQ History Month with readings by Len Lukowski, Julia Bell and Simon Maddrell. Tickets for this one are £6. Something rather different is on offer via the Alasdair Gray Archive. Rhona Warwick Paterson and Niamh Gordon are running a unique creative workshop from 11am that is designed to help expand creative approaches by working with clay. It's targeted at writers looking to expand their practice beyond language-based forms, so no need for previous experience with clay. Finally, Paisley Writers are cordially inviting new (and old) members to join their regular writing sessions. On the fourth Tuesday of the month, they are meeting at Paisley Central Library from 6pm.
You think that was a lot for one day? Think again! Wednesday 25 February has even more to offer. You'll be wishing you could clone yourself! At Òran Mór, the long-awaited Gray Day celebration finally arrives with readings and performances, screenings and an exclusive sneak preview of the brand new Lanark audiobook narrated by Alan Cumming. Just a few doors down, on Byres Road, you can either pop into Hillhead Bookclub for the weekly Poet's Corner open mic or join Ross Wilcock's Poetry Experiment night at the Alchemy Experiment. But that's not all, the StoryTree magazine is also celebrating the launch of its second issue with a brilliant line-up of local poets at the Bungalow in Paisley. And for those dreading a mid-week outing in winter, there are also two online events: the regular online reading and open mic event by Wordworth Grasmere 'Go to the Poets' with a special appearance by Fiona Benson, as well as an online writing workshop with Helen Mort organised by the Poetry Society, all about sound and music.
The poetic sea is a lot calmer again on Thursday (26 February). The new monthly reading series Not A Salon is taking over the backroom of Rufus T Firefly on Hope Street. Be there from 8pm to share your work or hear from other writers.
Gutter is cordially inviting to the launch event of its issue 33 on Friday, 27 February. This time, the team behind Scotland's preeminent literary magazine are taking over Mount Florida Books. Readings will include work by Shaun Murawski, David Ross Linklater, Alice Mah and Tim Tim Cheng.
Fancy a different type of poetry writing workshop? Award-winning plant biologist Dr Em Merrin May Armstrong is running an afternoon workshop at Jupiter Artland on Saturday, 28 February. The event will explore more-than-human connections through biological recording and poetic writing. The workshop is only £5, participants however also need to purchase entry for Jupiter Artland which is £11.50. The Creative Writing department of the University of Glasgow is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a two-day festival on Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 March. There will be readings, workshops, panel discussions and interactive interdisciplinary activities with a long list of writers including alumni as well as current students and staff.
I thought I'd also include a quick reminder about StAnza Poetry Festival. The 2026 festival is less than a month away now. If you want to attend - in person or remotely - make sure to book your tickets soon, some events are already sold out!
Opportunities
Today's pick from among the long list of opportunities currently on the PIG website:
You still have a few more days to sign-up for StoryTree's first ever slam event. The slam will take place on 25 March at the Bungalow in Paisley and will feature 10 poets performing across three rounds. Sign-up is still open until 18 February.
The London Library Emerging Writers Programme is accepting applications until 23 February. The programme offers a mix of writing development masterclasses, networking opportunities, peer support, and publication in the cohort anthology. It is open to writers, in all genres and disciplines and offers travel/access bursaries for participants outside London.
The Scotland-based literary and arts publisher Forest Publications is currently seeking submissions for a new project dedicated to the topic 'the Forest'. It is open to creatives in a wide range of mediums, including poetry and the selected work will be published in a dedicated magazine. Submissions are still accepted until 28 February.
Also closing on 28 February is the next issue of Poetry Ireland Review which will be edited by Sinéad Morrissey and dedicated to the topic 'Home'. The journal publishes both Irish and international writers and selected writers receive a fee of €50.
The online journal The Shore is currently open for submissions for its issue 29. The editors are keen on cutting, strange, and daring work from new and established poets that explore the worlds of things and ideas. The deadline is 1 March.
PIG Spotlight
This section is designed to shine a spotlight on a particular website, organisation or feature. For each Update, I'll pick something new - either because it is plain awesome or because it's new or really topical.
This week's spotlight is all about PIG. It's been absolutely fantastic to see that the PIG website has had more than 6,000 visits over the last year with an average of around 100 visits a week. The site has reported on over 750 events and opportunities since it launched, and visitors from the site have clicked through to visit the website of an organiser or publisher over 1,500 times.
The PIG newsletter which delivers the fortnightly PIG Update straight to your inbox has also grown to almost 50 subscribers. If you didn't know about this option, consider subscribing!
PIG also has a home on Substack, Bluesky and Instagram where our followers now add up to than a thousand! We also have a few regular supporters via Kofi who help with keeping the website and newsletter going.
PIG itself hasn't changed much since its inauguration in early 2025, so I wanted to take this opportunity to get your views. How would you like PIG to develop in 2026? Answer the quick survey question below to let us know what you would like to see more of.
What would you like to see from PIG in 2026 and beyond?
(Links to anonymous survey via UofG Qualtrics)
PIG's Poetry Pick
Today's poetry pick was sparked by the recent episode of the 'Nothing but the Poem' podcast which was dedicated to the late Andrea Gibson. I was drawn to include one of their poems and with the continued cold and gloomy weather, this particular one felt fitting.
Instead of Depression
by Andrea Gibson
try calling it hibernation.
Imagine the darkness is a cave
in which you will be nurtured
by doing absolutely nothing.
Hibernating animals don’t even dream.
It’s okay if you can’t imagine
Spring. Sleep through the alarm
of the world. Name your hopelessness
a quiet hollow, a place you go
to heal, a den you dug,
Sweetheart, instead
of a grave.
Via the Poetry Foundation.
That's it from me today. See you in two weeks!
Love,
Annie