Luath Press Poetry Showcase

Welcome to the Luath Press Poetry Showcase! Join us for an evening of beautiful words and captivating performances at the Scottish Poetry Library. Get ready to be inspired by talented poets as they share their latest works with you, featuring readings from Hugh McMillan, Julie McNeill and Magi Gibson. The event kicks off on Wed Dec 04 2024 at 18:30. Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of poetry and connect with fellow poetry lovers. See you there!

Hugh McMillan is a writer and performer who lives in South West Scotland. His last collection ‘Diverted to Split’, was published in summer 2024. In 2021 he was appointed editor of the Scottish Poetry Library’s anthology ‘Best Scottish Poems’ and this year was also chosen to chair the Saltire judges for Best Scottish Poetry Collection of the Year. His cult classic ‘McMillan’s Galloway’ was reprinted in paperback form in May 2023, and ‘Whit If’, his Scottish History poems were reprinted in April 2024 and formed the basis of a successful show at the Edinburgh Fringe. He has performed extensively, this year at Belladrum, The Wee Gaitherin and the Wigtown Book Festival. His website is at https://www.hughmcmillanwriter.co.uk/

‘The Funniest reading of poetry I have ever witnessed’ Ali Smith

“The Scottish literary scene seems to me crowded with excellence, but McMillan is unique”
Ian Duhig

“To hear Hugh McMillan read his poems is to be in the presence of a comedian of genius, as he delivers line after line of punching humour in a slightly surprised, smiling voice, so that we laugh and laugh but are left well aware that life isn’t funny.” Tessa Ransford

Julie McNeill is based in Glasgow, Scotland. She is the author of poetry collections ‘We Are Scottish Football’ (Luath Press 2024); ‘Something Small’ (Drunk Muse Press 2023); ‘Ragged Rainbows’ (HydridDreich 2022) and the award winning Children’s nonfiction book ‘Mission Dyslexia’ (JKPBooks 2022). She is the editor of ‘A Most Unsuitable Game’ (Tippermuir Press 2024) exploring the history and stories of women’s football in Scotland through poetry and prose.

Julie has performed widely at festivals and events including at Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Fringe, Aye Write Festival Glasgow, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, StAnza International Poetry Festival Wigtown book festival and at the Irish Writers’ Centre and King House in Boyle.

She was commissioned by the Scottish Poetry Library to design ‘Poetry Unwrapped’ a suite of workshops and resources for inspiring young neurodiverse writers. She wrote the poem ‘We are Scottish Football’ commissioned by BBC Sport for the start of the football season 2022/23 and has recently been awarded a Creative Scotland grant to write a poetry collection around the stories of the Paisley Mill workers.

Her new collection ‘Love Goes North’ will be published by Luath Press in 2025.

She is part of the editorial team at Drunk Muse Press based in the North East of Scotland.

As a football fan, Julie is the Poet-in-residence for St Mirren FC charitable trust and Makar of the Hampden Collection. The first female poet attached to a professional football club (that we know of) anywhere in the world.

She is has won or been placed in The Burrell Collection Hidden Gems Poetry Prize, Bold Types Poetry Prize and Snack Magazine/ Nutmeg Football Poetry Prize.

Magi Gibson has had six poetry collections published, including her signature third collection, Wild Women of a Certain Age. In 2024 she was joint winner of the Wigtown Poetry Prize. Her poetry appears in many anthologies, including Modern Scottish Women Poets, Scottish Love Poems (both Canongate) and The Twentieth Century Book of Scottish Poetry (Edinburgh University Press). As well as in The Herald, The Scotsman, The Moth, The Stinging Fly, Salzburg Literary Review, Southbank Review, Glasgow Review of Books and countless other magazines. Her poems have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland. She won the Scotland on Sunday/Women 2000 Poetry Prize, the Stirling Open Poetry Competition, was shortlisted for the MacLellan Poetry Prize, and came second in The Scottish International Open Poetry Competition.

She has been Writer in Residence in Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art, was Scottish Book Trust Reader in Residence in Glasgow Women’s Library. She’s held three Scottish Arts Council Creative Writing Fellowships, and a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellowship.

Host or Publisher Scottish Poetry Library