She got the power in her hand to shock you like you won't believe
Community events and open calls for writers & writing
Hiya! Hello, welcome to The Good Egg Project Newsletter.
This week’s newsletter title is borrowed from Electric Feel by MGMT
Come celebrate your writing with us!
That’s right, this month we have our open call for writers and I’m looking for some more sign ups for the Chicken Coop Writing Group Open Mic which is on Tuesday, July 29, at Lost in Leith Bar.
I want to hear from our poets, short story writers, comedians, theatre writers, non-fiction writers, horror enthusiasts, science-fiction and fantasy writers, and anyone else who’d like to share their writing at our celebration of your work. Slot length will be decided when sign ups are full and I’ll be in touch with all the details you need ahead of the event.
The opportunity is open to writers who have joined us for The Chicken Coop Writing Group, Words and Friends, the Good Egg Community Writing Groups, or who have used any of our newsletter prompts to create their work. I want to give you the mic to showcase all of your hard work and to share with the local community exactly what makes our writing groups and community so creative and fun!
The deadline to sign up is next Friday, July 11, so get in touch with me on Instagram or Substack to secure your spot. You don’t need to have any experience of performing before and I’ll be sharing some helpful tips to get you all started.
If you’d like to come along and support our wonderful community of writers, you can get pay-what-you-can tickets on Eventbrite
Community events
Seahorse Publications Joint Book Launch with Stephen Watt and Spencer Mason
Join Seahorse Publications at Avant Garde in Glasgow tonight, July 1, for the launch of Stephen Watt and Spencer Mason’s collections of poetry. With music provided by the Linda Jaxson Trio and open mic opportunities, this promises to be an exciting, dark, and curious evening of macabre wit and gothic content.
Get more information on Facebook
Glasgow Zine Fest is back from Wednesday, July 2, to Sunday, July 6. The programme takes place online and in-person around Glasgow. Highlights from the programme include Listening for Change a sonic workshop exploring the role of community radio in climate action, Climate Justice is Disability Justice where you’ll gain fresh insight into how care, activism, and creativity can reshape visual culture and drive change, Biome Stories: Close Observation Zines where you’ll use sensory prompts and reflective exercises to explore the garden, deepen your awareness, and magnify your observations, the Compost Co-Lab, the Zine Fair, Reparations and Climate Justice: Decolonial Ecologies and the Work of Repair looking at how climate reparations seeks to chart another path, Dreaming Utopias: Storytelling for Liberated Futures, and Scottish Land Reform and Resistance.
Check out the full GZF programme on the Glasgow Zine Library website
Shadows on the Stage Book Launch
You are invited to the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh for an evening of live performances of poetry and prose celebrating the launch of Shadows on the Stage on Wednesday, July 2, from 6.30 pm. Join Forest Publications for some captivating readings from their authors and the opportunity to purchase your very own copy of the anthology.
Get a ticket on Eventbrite
Glasgow Women’s Library July Programme
Glasgow Women’s Library’s events programme kicks off this week on Thursday, July 3 with their What if Women Designed the City? workshop, which I highlighted in last week’s edition of the newsletter. This month’s events programme is jam-packed with workshops and events including bitesize feminist crafting sessions Women Making It on Friday, July 4, and Friday, July 18, the Necropolis Women’s Heritage Walk on Saturday, July 5, and the East End Women’s Heritage Walk on Friday, July 18, Conversation Cafés on Wednesday, July 16, and Wednesday, July 30, a Story Café Special on Thursday, July 31, and exhibitions across the month.
Check out the full events programme on the Glasgow Women’s Library website
Muted Minds Circles returns with Poetry on the Grass this July at Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park. Join host Io this Saturday, July 5, for the first Polyphonic Noises, a series of guided sessions exploring how we hear each other, how we heal, through our stories, and form a collective inquiry. Each session is stand alone but the whole series falls under the same theme. As always, there is no requirement to be familiar with creative writing or poetical practices and the sessions will be guided.
Tickets are available on Eventbrite
Typewronger has a lovely bunch of events for you this July mostly squished toward the end of the month! All of their events are free and listed on Eventbrite and the Typewronger website. Highlights this month include the Leafing Through Book Group on Sunday, July 6, this month the group is reading Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard, the Remember how you are liberated Zine Launch on Wednesday, July 23, Edinburgh’s most anarchic open mic on Sunday, July 27, and the launch of Nettles by Nazaret Ranea on Monday, July 28.
Stay up to date with Typewronger’s events on their website
Howl Poetry and Prose Open Mic
Howl Poetry and Prose Open Mic is back this Sunday, July 6, at Osteria Bau Bau in Perth for more poetry, more prose, and more Italian pastries. Join hosts Natalie Jayne Clark and Paul S. Philippou for another afternoon of lovely words and laughs and gasps and connecting with other writers. Entry is free and you can sign up for a 5-minute slot by emailing howlpoetryandprose@gmail.com.
Follow Howl on Instagram to stay up to date with their events
Words and Music at MILK Café in Glasgow is back on Monday, July 7, from 6.30 pm. Join hosts Jen Hughes and Gayle Smith for another evening of spoken word and music. You can bring along your songs, poems, stories, comedy, friends and audience members. Slots are five minutes. Get in touch with Jen and Gayle to guarantee a slot.
Find out more and contact Jen and Gayle on Facebook
Balloch Open Mic is welcoming short story writer, Pete Fortune as guest headliner on Monday, July 7. Pete is a friend of Balloch Open Mic and the community is looking forward to a great evening. Festivities kick off at 7 pm in Balloch House Hotel in Balloch. If you would like to read your own work arrive a bit earlier to sign up for one of the five minute slots as they usually go quick.
Learn more about Balloch Open Mic on Facebook
Candlelight Open Mic returns to The Old Toll Bar in Glasgow on Monday, July 7, from 7.30 pm for an evening of poetry and spoken word. Host Ross McFarlane provides a cosy atmosphere, in a private bar, where new poets can start out and experienced poets can test new material. You can sign up for a slot by messaging Candlelight Open Mic at The Old Toll on Facebook.
Get all the details on Facebook
Creative Circles: Creatives with Children
Join Creative Edinburgh for their next Creative Circles: Creatives with Children on Tuesday, July 8, from 10 am. This session is a casual meet-up for freelancers and creatives to come together, share ideas and make connections, all alongside your little one(s)! Join Creative Edinburgh at Little Plaza in Edinburgh for this special Creative Circles dedicated to creative families; whether you’re looking for a collaborator, are keen to learn and share skills, or simply want to connect with other Creatives with Children, this is a fun and relaxed session for everyone! Babies and children of all ages are welcome, or head along by yourself for some grown-up creative company. There’ll be tea, coffee, juice and a few snacks!
Book a free space on Eventbrite
Marginalia Scribbling in the Margins of Scottish Culture
Hosts Kevin P. Gilday and Nasim Rebecca Asl return to the Stand Comedy Club in Glasgow on Wednesday, July 9, from 7 pm. This time they’re welcoming iconic stand-up and one third of Here Comes the Guillotine podcast, Christopher Macarthur-Boyd; novelist, playwright and performer, Alan Bissett; award-winning poet, Iona Lee and writer and musician Carrie Marshall.
Book tickets on the Stand website
Creative Stirling is hosting the next Speakeasy Stirling event on Friday, July 11, at the Creative Stirling Venue above the Made in Stirling Store. Join them and event host and Stirling Makar Kevin P. Gilday for a stacked line up including musician Mima Merrow, poet Martin O'Connor, comedian Amelia Bayler, and poet and author Natalie Jayne Clark.
Tickets are available on Eventbrite
Loud Poets Slam Series Inverness Heat
Loud Poets are in Inverness at The Bike Shed on Saturday, July 12, for another Slam Heat! Join them for an electric poetry competition featuring performances from sacrificial poet India de Bono and 12 slammers competing for £200 and a spot at August’s £3,000 Grand Slam Final.
Book tickets on Eventbrite
Edinburgh Collage Club: Travelling
Join Edinburgh Collage Club for their July Collage Session and get inspired by the theme of travelling on Sunday, July 13, from 1 pm, at North Merchiston Club in Edinburgh. All the materials are included, but feel free to bring along anything extra you’d like to work with or any personal project you’d like to work on. Some drinks and snacks will also be provided, but you’re more than welcome to bring along your own.
Get your ticket on Eventbrite
Fringe 2025 Spoken Word Preview
Candlelight Open Mic is hosting a preview of Spoken Word at this year's PBH Free Fringe at The Old Toll Bar in Glasgow on Monday, July 14. 10 poets with solo shows at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August will be performing 10 minute tasters of their show. Announced so far is work by Meron McCardle, Shannon O’Neill, Spencer Mason, and Dean Tsang with more to follow soon!
Follow Candlelight Open Mic on Instagram for more line up announcements
SPACE: Spoken Word Poetry Workshop
Join Dr Katie Ailes for the final workshop in the online Loud Poets Spoken Word Workshop Series on Saturday, July 19, from 12 pm. In this workshop, you’ll consider how to take the context into account when preparing and delivering a performance, and learn key skills for performing in any space. Through watching and discussing examples, you’ll review techniques for engaging your audience, including how to introduce yourself and your poems, make eye contact, and compose poetry with direct audience interaction. Understanding the technology you’re using is key to performing with clarity and confidence, so you’ll review how to use a microphone and mic stand, and how to avoid your papers shaking when you’re nervous. Finally, you’ll learn how to craft a set for an event that takes your audience on a journey and shows off your work in the best light.
Book tickets on Eventbrite
Shut Up! about Pride is a pride event by and for trans people (cis allies are welcome to go along and listen. Join Glasgow Trans Dinners for an evening of spoken word, poetry, comedy, music, rage, apathy, alienation, shame, and yes: pride and joy on Saturday, July 19, at Stereo from 7 pm. Email glasgowtransdinner@gmail.com or message on Instagram to perform. If you missed Shut Up! last month, now’s your chance to see why no-one would shut up about it.
Get your tickets on Eventbrite
TypeWriters: Genre on a roll of the dice
Join Typewronger for an experimental writing exercise using the shop's gong, a stop-watch, and dice on Friday, July 25. They're going to have a list of different genres for you to write in, the stopwatch will start and they'll call the first genre. You'll then roll for the next one and after five minutes bong the gong and tell you to switch. You’ll keep doing this for around an hour. Poetry, romance, western, horror, academic - there'll be a big old list of styles you'll need to make work for your writing. Typewronger will provide drinks and space, you need to bring paper and pen or whatever writing equipment you prefer! There's 14 places on this workshop and a waiting list in case anyone drops out or can’t make it.
Book your space through Eventbrite
The Afro-Scottish Poetry Event 2025
Join host and poet Chisom Okoronkwo at The House Arts Collective in Glasgow on Friday, July 25, for an unforgettable evening of poetry, live music, and storytelling, featuring artists from Africa, Scotland, and Asia. This multicultural event showcases African and Scottish voices while welcoming global expressions of identity and belonging with writers including Aditya Narayan, Cat Cochrane, Michael Omaha, Peilin Shi, and Ross McFarlane. You can expect powerful poetry performances from African, Scottish and Asian Poets, live music by African & Scottish musicians, cross-cultural conversation, and a vibrant, inclusive audience.
Get your tickets on Eventbrite
Open calls for writers & writing
After a few requests Gather Zine has extended its submissions deadline for its third issue Resistance by a week. They want work that considers what resistance means to you, what an act of resistance is, and what do you resist - both out there in the world and inside your own self. Gather is looking for poems, short stories, flash fiction, non-fiction, memoir, musings, songs and anything you would like to share on the theme of resistance. Send them to hello.gatherzine@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, July 6.
Find out more about Gather Zine’s third issue on their Instagram
ANARKISS Zine is open to submissions of poetry, illustrations, collage art, essays for their next issue. If your work is politically-charged and fuelled by a need for change, they want to feature it in the zine. Send your work to anarkisszine@gmail.com. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis and ANARKISS will let you know via email if they want to publish your work. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, July 20.
Find more information about ANARKISS Zine on their website
Naebinary A Trans Zine/Newsletter
Naebinary is calling for submissions for their radical trans zine/newsletter made in Scotland — by trans people, for trans people. They’re looking for raw, joyful, angry, creative work that speaks trans truth in all its forms. Submissions for the first issue are open until Monday, July 14. Submit your work by messaging Naebinary on Instagram or email it to naebinary@outlook.com.
Get more information on the Naebinary Instagram
Gypsophila is open for their next issue. They’re looking for poetry, prose, and short stories on the theme of The Ghosts of the Past. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, July 31.
Get more information on the open call on the Gypsophila website
The Decolonise Fest zine is back and open for submissions. For 2025, they’re going open theme. This year, they want it all your rage, your joy, and everything between. They’re calling on punx of colour - artists, writers, photographers, illustrators, collagists, poets, ranters, dreamers, organisers - to send your work for their next zine. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, July 31. Please note this opportunity is for BIPOC only, decolonise fest is by and for punx of colour. Send your submissions to: decolonisefest@gmail.com. This zine will be distributed at the fest and online as it’s not for profit - just for community, survival, and celebration.
Find out more on the Decolonise Fest Instagram
Where the Land Forgets Itself: the Zine
Where the Land Forgets Itself is more than one man’s experience of one seaside town. It’s an attempt to unify the narratives of the coastal communities of Britain. The Zine will feature 10 poets from across the UK sharing their own connection to seaside towns, the tidal environment and the unique culture that emerges on the coast. Each poet selected will receive £100 and a contributors copy of the zine. The deadline for submissions is Friday, August 15.
Head over to the Apples and Snakes website to find out more
Writers, poets, thinkers, ghosts, The Page Gallery is open to submissions for its living exhibition of voices that don’t fit the algorithm. They’re open to sketches, poems, half-ideas and everything in between. Every contributor gets a hand-curated page: part dreamscape, part digital zine. Each one built to feel like a memory you never had—or maybe one you left behind. TPG wants your strangest, your softest, and your sharpest work. There is no stated deadline for submissions.
Find out more about The Page Gallery on their website
Thanks for reading!
July is shaping up to be another jam-packed month ahead of Edinburgh’s festival season, which kicks off at the end of this month. As a result, our newsletter might look a little different and I’ll be sharing some round-ups to help you find local shows and support our local artists later this month.
Like I said last year, local acts aren’t just here for the festival, they’re here all year round and make our cultural scenes as vibrant as they are. Please consider supporting your local artists as much as your travelling favourites, our Scotland-based artists will still be here when the festival buzz quiets down.
If you’re a Scotland-based artist with a show going to the Fringe or an event at one of our many festivals, please fill out this Google Form and I’ll include you in our soon-to-be published festival special later this month! And to the rest of our community, if you have a friend with a show or a favourite local artist you want to celebrate, you can also fill out our listing form.
Similar to last year, I’ll be taking a break over the festival season, but I plan to share some more updates about where you can get your writing fix over August, whether that means escaping the city and going further afield, or finding new writing communities around Edinburgh.
Don’t forget we have one more Chicken Coop until our summer hiatus, and you can sign up to share your work as part of our celebrations on Tuesday, July 29!
Until next time, take care of each other,
Naomi
P.s. Do you know someone who is looking for a creative and curious writing community? Share this newsletter with them and help them to find a place to write!