PIG UPDATE #31
26th of April 2026
This fortnight opens with a joyful celebration of queer artistry and closes with the return of everyone's favourite springtime poetic garden party. There's plenty in between, too, including a stellar showcase from one of Scotland's longest-running spoken word organisations, and an unmissable spotlight on Scotland's BIPOC poets and spoken word artists. Let's jump right in!
Events (27 April to 10 May 2026)
Things get started on Monday (27 April) with a special Creative Conversation at Glasgow University. The Creative Writing department has invited Roderick Watson for a lunchtime chat at 42 Bute Gardens. The event is promising an interesting conversation about the Aberdeen-born poet's work as well as his personal recollections over decades of scholarship and writing. As usual, the event runs from 1-2pm. The online reading and discussion group Discover Poetry with Polly Atkin is inviting you for a friendly evening of poetry chat. Share your thoughts and ideas about a selection of classic and contemporary poems, or just join to listen and learn. The Zoom meeting is organised by Wordsworth Grasmere and starts at 7:30pm. The true highlight of the day is however the return of the Big Gay Cabaret. Hosted by Ross Wilcock, the evening at SWG3's Poetry Club offers a fabulous mix of poetry, music, comedy and more. This year's edition features Spencer Mason (poetry and music), Sean by Mercy (music), Pyjama Clad Poet (poetry), Tia Rey (comedy), and Bliss Wild Art (poetry). Tickets are on a sliding scale from £5 to £10. Get yours, if you haven't already!
There's something for everyone on Tuesday (28 April). The Midnight Verse is back at the Drake for its monthly spoken word open stage hosted by Marc Molloy. This edition will feature poet Louis Keyes alongside the usual open mic slots. If you want to read, get in touch with the organisers via social media ahead of time. If you are more interested in getting creative yourself, the Poetry Society is running an online writing workshop on the poetry of restoration and repair with Clare Shaw. Clare will guide participants through contemporary eco-poetry exploring the intersection of ecological restoration and personal recovery. As usual with Poetry Society workshops, tickets are £17 for members and £27 for non-members. I was also very excited to see a unique mixed media event happening at The House Arts Collective the same evening. Abhainn/Avon promises an evening of short films, poetry, performances and songs in celebration of our rivers. The event is put together by Meg Avon, Elvey Anna Stedman and Grace Morton and will include performances by Mairi Sutherland, Megalichen, Robert Thomas James Mills and Ró. Tickets are pay what you can (£8-£12).
Wednesday (29 April) has a double helping of open mic opportunities. Ross Wilcock's Poetry Experiment is back on at The Alchemy Experiment on Byres Road from 7pm. Make sure to grab your tickets ahead of time and remember, Ross has recently changed the process for performers: the dedicated 'performer' ticket has been abolished. Instead, you can simply sign up on the night and get a free drink if you perform. Further up the road at Hillhead Bookclub, the weekly Poet's Corner is also back in session. This week's theme is 'Near Miss'.
On Thursday (30 April), Not A Salon takes over the backroom at Rufus T Firefly for its monthly reading series. The night is open to writers of all genres, styles and experience levels, including poetry, prose and short theatrical monologues, so prepare for a weird and wonderful mix. Slot are 5 minutes and you can sign up at the door or drop the organisers a line on Instagram. If you prefer something a little less unpredictable, I can also highly recommend the Clydebuilt 17 Showcase at Waterstones on Sauchiehall the same evening. For £7 you can join Niall Campbell and the St Mungo Mirrorball team as they introduce four recent Clydebuilt mentees: Ruth Aylett, Ellen Renton, Gabrielle Tse and Catherine Wilson Garry. The event is also an excellent reminder that the next Clydebuilt mentoring programme is currently open for applications.
Friday (1 May) brings one of the highlights of this fortnight. Loud Poets is coming to Glasgow with its spoken word showcase at Civic House. For over ten years, Loud Poets has been showcasing the best spoken word poetry from Scotland and beyond, and this edition features an incredible line-up: Jasmine Gardosi, Len Pennie and RJ Hunter, hosted by Kevin Mclean with music from Jack Hinks. There will also be six open mic slots available on the door. Tickets are £12 - grab one asap!
Monday (4 May) sees Candlelight Poetry return to The Old Toll Bar on the Southside. Before the regular open mic kicks off at 7:30pm, Ross McFarlane is running a special Fringe Info Session from 6:30pm. This drop-in session is aimed at spoken word acts performing at this year's PBH Free Fringe (or those interested in performing in future) and covers the practicalities of what a Fringe run looks like. Free entry, no sign-up required. The fortnightly Poetry at Inn Deep is also back in session, the same evening from 7:30pm.
On Tuesday (5 May), the monthly Open Book Creative Writing Session is on at Glasgow Women's Library from 10:30am. Led by poet Kathrine Sowerby, these thoughtful sessions focus on a different theme each month. The event is targeted at women (16+) and completely free. In the evening, you get the chance to hear the brilliant Sarah Howe read from her two celebrated poetry collections. Sarah is hosting an online event as part of Cheltenham Poetry Festival (CPF) which will also include readings from the winners of the 2025 CPF Poetry Competition. There are also open mic slots available. Tickets are on a sliding scale from £3.
On Wednesday (6 May) Poet's Corner is throwing open the doors at Hillhead Bookclub for poetic delights. You know the drill: 5-10 minute slots, themed prompts (keep an eye on the organiser's socials), and a welcoming crowd of fellow writers. What more could you wish for?
I am thrilled to see the brilliant line-up of the opening night of the Creatives of Colour Festival on Thursday, 7 May. The spoken word and poetry night will include performances from Titi Farukuoye, Theresa Muñoz, Tawona Sithole and Chisom Okoronkwo and will be hosted by Esraa Husain. This is a fabulous start to a really exciting and powerful programme of events with and for BIPOC artists in Scotland. The event will take place at Queen Margaret Union in the West End, tickets are now on sale for £10.
The fortnight wraps up on Friday, 8 May with the long-awaited return of Bulb! It might have felt like winter was dragging on forever, but it's official now: spring is here, and Bulb is back at Lilybank Gardens. Colin Herd and Claire Frances Reynolds have already announced three events for May and June with more to follow later in the summer. Readers for each event will remain a secret, but I am sure Colin and Claire won't let us down. Expect the unexpected! I personally hope, they'll be able to do one or two evening events this year to make the events more accessible for those of us stuck at work on a Friday afternoon. Fingers crossed!
I thought I'd also include a quick shout-out for the new online Wild Writing course organised by the Scottish Poetry Library and led by Lorna French. The last time, the course sold out super fast but currently, there are still tickets available, so if you fancy exploring wild writing as part of your practice, this might be your chance!
Opportunities
Today's pick from among the long list of opportunities currently on the PIG website:
The IHRAM Q2 Literary Magazine is currently open for submissions on the theme 'Stories of Land, Climate & Resistance'. The International Human Rights and Art Movement (IHRAM) is a non-profit dedicated to amplifying critical voices of artists around the world. Its quarterly magazine focuses on changing topics. For this issues IHRAM is inviting poetry, short stories, personal essays and visual art that reflects on our interconnectedness with the environment. Selected writers receive an honorarium of $50. The submission window closes on 1 May.
The Young Religious Poets Competition by the Edinburgh Sacred Arts Foundation in collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library, is a unique opportunity for poets in Scotland under the age of 30. The award committee is looking for poems that address a biblical quotation, character or event, a notable figure from Christian history, or a response to a religious image. Winners receive prizes of up to £500, so this one might be worth dusting off your bible for. The deadline for submissions is 1 May.
The Turning Leaf Journal is accepting submissions for its upcoming issue until 1 May. The online journal provides a space for writing that explores change, transition and the turning over of a new leaf. For this issue, the editors are particularly interested in pieces addressing migration, responses to ICE brutality and sowing seeds of hope. Poetry, essays and hybrid work are all welcome.
If you are working on your first pamphlet, you still have until 5 May to submit to the award-winning pamphlet press ignitionpress. Emerging poets who have not yet published a chapbook, pamphlet or full collection are invited to submit six poems and a 75-word summary of their vision for a 36-page pamphlet. The poems may have been previously published.
Online literary magazine Apricot Press is currently open for submissions from emerging writers for their upcoming issue dedicated to the topic of hope. The editors are accepting poetry, flash fiction, short stories and essays until the deadline of 8 May.
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 on the National Poetry Centre in Leeds. It is a major project initiated by Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage in 2022 and is slowly taking shape both as a physical place (to hopefully open in 2029) and an online resource. It is intended as a "national headquarters" for poetry with a hub for events, performances, exhibitions, workshops, open-mic nights, a library, collections and archives. The project is turning the former Trinity St David's church in Leeds into a fully accessible space where all this poetic magic can happen. While this physical space is very much still in progress, the Centre has already started to deliver an outreach programme designed to "build literacy and oracy, support mental health and wellbeing and encourage people of all backgrounds to explore their identity and heritage through poetry".
Part of this is the Hope Collective, a project all about poetry and wellbeing which is currently looking for contributions for its next anthology. The Hope Collective is exploring how, when, and in what format, poetry could support connection, giving voice to the unspoken and unheard. The current call for poems is structured around four categories: Silence, Trace, Shadow and Longing, and it is still open until 4 June.
The centre's website also includes a very handy collection of links to some of the UK's most important poetry organisations and resources. I highly recommend having a look.
PIG's Poetry Pick
Today's poem is a find from the website of another amazing poetic resource I recently discovered: the Poetry Translation Centre. The poem was originally written in Persian and has been translated into English by Elhum Shakerifar.
Cinnamon
by Parinaz Fahimi
I want to be cinnamon
to be mixed with sugar
when I am braided into dough and sprinkled on its edges
I hide in the lines of Grandmother’s fingers
folded in her prayers
rubbed onto grandchildren’s lips
to sweeten a careful kiss
to nourish the ants on the rug
and so
I might dissolve into the memory of childhood
and forever bake poems
with the scent of cinnamon
as if I could solve my heartache with spices
and steady it with sugar’s promise.
Available via the Poetry Translation Centre.
That's it from me today. See you in two weeks!
Love,
Annie