Glasgow is fast becoming the poetry capital of Scotland, with a large and growing number of regular poetry events and gigs held throughout the city.

With no fewer than 39 writers' groups in the city and the strong support offered by writers in residence at some of the city's libraries, Glasgow bids fair to outshine Edinburgh in its literary execellence.

Check out the regular poetry events at:

• Bar Brel in Aston Lane in the West End, on the last Sunday of every month. Hosted by Viv Gee and starting at 3.00pm, it's a great place to hear the latest and best from Glasgow's writers.
• The Scotia Bar in Stockwell St. on the last Tuesday of the month at 8.00pm. Join in, in the best of Glasgow's poetry, literature and music scene.
• Sammy Dows in Nithsdale Rd is the place to be on the first Monday of the month when the South Side Writers' Group host their popular Words and Music events. The Mayfest poetry competition for performance poetry will also be held in this venue during May in addition to the regular monthly event.
• Wordshare at the RAFA Club is one of the newest and increasingly popular events where writers can get together to read and listen to new songs, poems and stories.
• Borders Bookstore in Buchanan St. hosts one of the most popular events on the last Sunday of each month at 8.00 pm in their cafeteria, hosted by Robert Knox and supported by Borders' events manager Gillian McKay, this is what we hope will be the beginning of regular gigs in Glasgow's major bookstores.

Borders also stocks and sells Cutting Teeth magazine, Glasgow's leading literary mag for new writing, and the recently published collection of poetry by Jim Craig (Lock Stock and Barrel) and short stories by Martha Sills (Circuses) - two writers new to the Scotish scene who have been published by Cutting Teeth's new imprint Wisdom Teeth.

Glasgow is certainly the place to be for poetry and indeed all forms of literature in the coming millennium.