Submission window for this year's Festival

Hey Poets, Publishers and Friends!

Take part in 2026

3 -5 September, Stonehaven

Gaither with us for this year’s festival when, as well as a terrific array of poetry in all the languages of Scotland, we’ll be creating plenty of space for socialising and enjoying our wonderful location.

We aim to subsidise travel and accommodation expenses and, where possible, provide a fee to poets and performers allocated a slot.

Submissions window

4 – 24 May

Programme (to be confirmed)

We’re planning to start on Thursday evening with an opening shindig including a showcase of Scots poetry, song and music. On Friday and Saturday there will be morning and afternoon sessions, concluding around 6pm on Saturday so that we can have a farewell gaitherin and dinner.

To ensure an equitable way for poets and publishers to get involved, we are setting a submission window of three weeks from May 4-24. Poets who want to perform at the Scots Showcase or any other reading slot, and publishers who’d like a stall, please apply by completing the form that will appear here on the website when the window opens.

If you have an idea for an activity, performance or workshop, please complete the same form. Our priority is to give as many poets as possible an opportunity to perform, and we may have an open mic during the festival to maximise reading opportunities. Once the submission window is closed, the Wee Gaitherin Charity Trustees will meet to decide how many submissions we can accommodate. Sadly, this means we cannot guarantee that everyone will be allocated a reading slot at the festival.

NB direct approaches in person, by phone or personal email to any of the trustees will not be considered.

We very much look forward to hearing from you!