PIG UPDATE #32
10th of May 2026
This PIG Update is a long one - not just because of a record-breaking amount of community events but also because both Paisley Book Festival and Glasgow Zine Fest are coming up with buckets full of readings, workshops and performances to delight and inspire. There's also some pretty exciting (paid) opportunities in the mix this month, so let's dive straight in!
Events (11 to 24 May 2026)
Things get going on Monday (11 May) with an online reading group hosted by the Poetry Society. The Poetry Review Reading Group invites you to dive into the Spring 2026 issue of The Poetry Review on Zoom from 6:30pm. Facilitated by poet Julia Bird, it's a welcoming and relaxed space for seasoned poetry readers and curious newcomers alike. With the combined ticket option you get both the event ticket and a copy of the magazine for £12.95.
Tuesday (12 May) brings an online workshop from Anamot Press. Queer Letters explores the love letter as a poetic form, drawing on the work of contemporary queer poets such as Ocean Vuong, Danez Smith, Eduardo C. Corral, Mary Jean Chan and Natalie Diaz, as well as Latin American writers including Pedro Lemebel and Carmen Berenguer. The two-hour Zoom workshop is led by poet and facilitator Leo Boix. It starts at 6pm and tickets are on a sliding scale from £10.
Wednesday (13 May) is stacked with poetic delights. At Glasgow Zine Library on the Southside, the monthly Poetry Open Mic is back from 6:30pm. As usual, you can sign up in advance via a Google form - or just put your name down on the night. Just around the corner at Adrian's Bar, SpeakEasy is welcoming its May headliner: Fiona Jane, the current Loud Poets Glasgow slam champion. Doors are at 7pm, with the show starting at 7:30pm and a handful of open mic slots also available. Meanwhile, at Hillhead Bookclub, the weekly Poet's Corner open mic is on from 7:30pm - just show up to sign up for a reading spot, and check the organisers' Instagram ahead of time for the weekly theme. If you're feeling ambitious and want to squeeze in yet another event, Cheltenham Poetry Festival's online workshop series continues with Making a Dramatic Exit - the Art of the Poetic Last Line, led by Anna Saunders from 7pm. It costs £25 and promises a fresh way to think about that devilish final line.
There's a brand new writing group to check out on Thursday (14 May). The Raven Writing Group, organised by poets Kaci O'Meara and Sarah Heitler, meets on the second Thursday of every month at 226 Gallowgate in the East End. The group is queer-friendly and designed as a no-pressure space for writers and creatives who want good company and background noise to work on their projects. It's completely free and starts at 6pm. Also on Thursday evening, St Mungo's Mirrorball is back at Waterstones on Sauchiehall Street with another brilliant poetic showcase. The headline reader is Isabelle Baafi, whose debut collection Chaotic Good (Faber & Faber, 2025) won the Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection and was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize. She is joined by Helena Fornells Nadal, Elizabeth Rimmer, Charlie Gracie, Donal McLaughlin and Mairi Murphy. Arrive before 7pm to make sure you get in.
Friday (15 May) sees Paisley Book Festival kick off - see the Spotlight below for a full run-down of all the poetry events across the three-day festival (hint: there is loads!). Meanwhile in Glasgow, Robert Thomas James Mills is celebrating the relaunch of Extratemporal at Market Gallery on Rose Street. Originally a recorded monologue, the book which is "an exploration of being (out-)with (of) time, consciousness and dreams" now gets a second outing. There will also be performances from Liv Aldridge and Cameron Wilson alongside readings from the book. It's free and starts at 6pm.
On Sunday (17 May) the Scottish Poetry Library's online Spring into Summer: Wild Writing course with Lorna French gets underway from 4pm. The ticket (£51) covers all four Sunday sessions running through May and into June, and last time I checked there were still a few last tickets remaining. Sunday is also the last day of Paisley Book Festival. Scroll down to get the full picture of what's on offer.
On Monday (18 May), two of Glasgow's beloved West End open mics are on again. Ross Wilcock's monthly Curler's Cosy Corner is back at Curler's Rest from 7pm while Poetry @ Inn Deep kicks off at 7:30pm. You can sign up for a reading slot on the night at Curler's Corner but may have to plan ahead a bit more for the Inn Deep night. It's best to contact Sam on Instagram ahead of time to make sure you get a spot.
Tuesday (19 May) has another online workshop from Cheltenham Poetry Festival: Slant Storytelling in Poetry with Anna Saunders from 7pm. The session explores narrative poetry and how to tell a story with vision, depth and originality, drawing on writers like Ocean Vuong, Sharon Olds and Jacob Foley. Tickets are £25.
Wednesday (20 May) has got something for everyone. StAnza's online Well Versed series welcomes Sarah Howe for a free lunchtime reading and conversation from 12pm. As always, Well Versed recordings are also uploaded to YouTube afterwards, so don't fret if you can't join live. In the evening, Moniack Mhor is running an online masterclass led by Scottish Makar Pàdraig MacAoidh / Peter Mackay. Slips of the Tongue: Writing in More than One Language explores macaronic writing, bilingualism and poetry that lives in-between languages. You don't need to be fluent in more than one language to take part - but a love of dictionaries helps ;). It's a pay-as-you-can event with tickets ranging from £6.50 to £30. Meanwhile, over in Paisley, StoryTree is throwing open the doors at The Bungalow for their Issue 3 Launch Night from 7pm. Once again, Georgia Francis has got a fabulous line-up of local legends, including Kike, Gilad Zinman, Jack Hinks, Katie Rose, Ashley Bell, Cat Cochrane, Emily Christie, Siying Wo, Dev McMath and Beth Rose. And the best is, it's free (although donations are appreciated). If you're in the West End, Poet's Corner is also on at Hillhead Bookclub, and on the Southside, the monthly Poetry at Sweeney's open mic offers all of its usual friendly vibes and welcoming atmosphere.
It's another big night for poetry on Thursday (21 May). Glyph Lit Mag is launching Issue 5: Horror at the Dram on Woodlands Road from 7pm. Expect dark stories, eerie readings and haunting new voices - plus the reveal of the theme for the next issue coming later this year. The event is free but ticketed. Also on Thursday, Off-Page is holding the preview evening of their 2026 Group Show at Many Studios from 6pm. The exhibition brings together new work by eleven artists - CD Boyland, Hannah Burdess, Harshil Gupta, Beag Horn, Julie Laign, Ruarid Law, Lauren McDougall, Wendy Miller, Leo Plumb, Katherine Sowerby and Preston Taylor - exploring visual poetry and the poetic visual. The exhibition is open to the public from 22-24 and 27-31 May (12-5pm), and I get the impression this one might be worth a visit - put it in your diary! If you prefer to get creative yourself, the Poetry Society is hosting the online writing workshop, Writing Grief with Denise Saul, from 6:30pm. The session explores how to write the many faces of grief with clarity, restraint and emotional precision. Tickets are £17 for members and £27 for non-members. Sadly already sold out (but potentially worth joining the waiting list) is the online workshop on Blackout Poetry as an Act of Cathartic Destruction. The event is part of Glasgow Zine Fest which is running from 19 to 24 May at The Briggait, Glasgow Zine Library and online. You might not be able to join this particular poetic event, but there is sooooo much to do and explore, so if you have some time, do check out the full programme and/or swing by the Zine Fair on the weekend (23-24 May) to discover some exciting DIY treasures.
The fortnight closes out beautifully on Friday (22 May) with the return of Bulb! at Lilybank Gardens from 2:30pm. Colin Herd and Claire Frances Reynolds are back with their joyful, garden-based spoken word series - and, as always, the readers remain a delightful secret until the day. Bring a sense of wonder and enjoy new words blossoming in nature. Free and open to all.
Opportunities
Today's pick from among the long list of opportunities currently on the PIG website:
Time is running out to submit to fourteen poems, the London-based LGBTQ+ poetry anthology. The publisher brings together fourteen of the best queer poets from around the world three times a year, covering themes of sex, love, race, gender and life in the LGBTQ+ global community. You don't have to be writing about specifically queer subjects - you just need to identify under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. Submit up to five poems by 15 May. Published poets receive £30.
Crob Magazine - the Cambridge Review of Books - is accepting pitches and submissions for their Summer 2026 issue until 19 May. Despite the name, they are looking for a wide range of work including poetry, fiction, articles, reviews and hybrid or multimedia work. You can send in up to three poems per submission.
You have until 24 May to submit to the first issue of a new publication by Agora Press - a brand new venture by Glasgow's Agora Studios collective. The publication has the theme "What Are These Women On About?" and aims to celebrate women's passions, hobbies, projects and goings on in and around Scotland's central belt.
Stonehaven's annual The Wee Gaitherin Poetry Festival is currently open for applications to be part of this year's festival which is scheduled for 3-5 September. The festival has a strong commitment to making poetry accessible to all and is completely free to attend. The organisers are looking for poets who wish to perform or run a workshop as well as publishers who'd like to set up a table. The submission window closes on 24 May.
Still open for entries until 25 May is the inaugural Matthew Lanyon Poetry Prize - a brand new national poetry award celebrating the life and creative legacy of painter, multimedia artist and writer Matthew Lanyon. The theme for the competition is ‘The Archaeology of Tomorrow’ and poets are encouraged to interpret the theme widely. Winners will receive a sum of £500 and unlike most other competitions, entries are free!
Worth a quick shout-out are also the following opportunities that don't have an official deadline. If they sound interesting to you, make sure to get your submission in asap:
Common Condition - a new "zine about disability and a celebration of the wider disability community and what connects us" is looking for a wide range of contributions by disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent people.
The Neuk Collective is putting together a cultural festival to coincide with the Commonwealth Games later this year. Under the headline "Made in Glasgow" they issued a call-out for word artists, musicians and cabaret, drag, variety and live art performers who are interested in taking a 10-15min slot on one of the stages. Selected spoken-word artists are paid £120. This call is targeted at Glasgow-based neurodivergent artists and applicants must apply to become a free member of the Neuk Collective.
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.
As promised, today's spotlight is all about Paisley Book Festival.
Under the theme 'Everyday Heroes, Everlasting Icons', the organisers have put together a fantastic line-up of readings and workshops, exhibitions and performances. There's so much to explore and hear - not just for poetry lovers.
PIG has put together this convenient overview of all the poetry-related events over the three-day festival, so grab your tickets and hop on the train to Gilmour Street!
Friday, 15 May
10:30-12:30 Writing Nature’s Heroes with Saskia McCracken
13:15-14:15 The Beautiful Game with the Hampden Collection Makars, Julie McNeill, Donna Matthew and Hugh McMillan.
Saturday, 16 May
13:15-14:15 Everyday Heroes - Writing the People who Made Us with Nazaret Ranea, Gabrielle Tse and Roshni Gallagher
14:00-16:00 Poetry as Punk Workshop with Spencer Mason
15:00-17:00 Light Between the Lines - A STAR Project Event - book launch, readings, exhibition and blackout poetry workshop with Britta Benson
18:30-20:00 Gubsmacked Takeover: A Paisley Flyting with Taylor Dyson, Molly Maclachlan, Kevin Gilday, Nasim Rebecca Asl, Medha Singh and David Ross Linklater
Sunday, 17 May
12:00-13:00 Robbie MacLeòid & Ceitidh Campbell - New Gaelic Voices
13:15-14:15 Hannah Lavery & Jim Carruth - Cycles of Life
14:30-17:00 Loud Poets Paisley Poetry Slam with Drew Gill as Sacrificial Poet
15:00-17:00 Hear My Words - A Vernacular Revival with Keeks Mc and Emma Kames
15:45-16:45 Glidin’ Through Time - Celebrating the Bard of Lochwinnoch with Betty McKellar
18:15-19:15 Len Pennie & Michael Mullen - Scots Poetry Hour
PIG's Poetry Pick
I can't claim to be much of a football fan myself and I have definitely got some concerns around this year's World Cup. And yet, I was absolutely delighted to see poetry make the national press two weeks ago as Pàdraig MacAoidh / Peter Mackay announced the release of a new poem to celebrate Scotland's participation in the World Cup. I genuinely love the poem, so I thought I'd share it with you (in both Gaelic and English):
Ris an do-dhèanta
Pàdraig MacAoidh
Tha sinn air a bhith ri rudan do-dhèanta a-rithist.
A’ crochadh san adhair, a’ feitheamh diog, tiotag, linn,
nas fhàide nas àirde na bu chòir a bhith comasach.
Chaidh leintean-T a dhèanamh dhinn mus do landaig sinn.
Tha sinn air fhaighinn tharais air na rudan as miosa,
a’ coiseachd nam mìltean fada sin – coig ceud, coig mìle –
gus cnàmhan agus buill-nasg a chur ceart, gus ar corragan a shìneadh,
agus mion-car a chur air an t-saoghal, tharais air a’ bhàr.
O agus chum sin ar n-anail nar milleanan,
air bhoile le chèile, a’ coimhead bàla a’ tùirling
na àrc àbhaisteach mìorbhaileach coileanta
agus a’ tuiteam, meath mar bhogha-frois, dhan talamh.
Seadh, rinn sinn rudan do-dhèanta. Ach a-nis –
ann am Miami, Boston, ge b’àit – tha againn rin dèanamh
a-rithist. Agus an uairsin, yes sir, nì sinn boogie,
ri òran sam bith a tha sinn ag iarraidh.
At the Impossible
Peter Mackay
We’ve been at the impossible again. Levitating.
Hanging in the air one, two seconds, an age,
longer and higher than should be possible.
The T-shirts were printed before we’d hit the ground.
We have recovered from the worst of times,
walking long miles - five hundred, five thousand –
to wrest bones and ligaments back to fitness
and tip the world over with the last skelf of skin.
And we have held a million breaths
in frantic unison, watching a ball tumble
in its everyday, humdrum perfect parabola,
to fall plump as a rainbow back to earth.
O we’ve been at the impossible but must now –
in Miami, Boston, anywhere, anyhow –
do it all over again. And then yes sir, we shall boogie,
absolutely, to whatever song we choose.
Available via The Herald Scotland.
That's it from me today. See you in two weeks!
Love,
Annie