For this episode of Glasgow Sessions, Richard Lee sits down with one of the most recognisable and generous figures in the city’s spoken word community — Ross Wilcock.
A queer, disabled Glaswegian poet, performer and event curator, Ross has become a central presence in Glasgow’s modern poetry scene. If you’ve spent time at an open mic on Byres Road in recent years, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with him — whether on stage performing, hosting, or encouraging someone to read their work for the very first time.
Ross is the driving force behind The Poetry Experiment at The Alchemy Experiment, a monthly open mic that has become a welcoming gateway for emerging poets across the city, and he also hosts nights at The Curlers Rest, helping nurture a vibrant and supportive community of writers and performers. As these nights continue to grow — with The Poetry Experiment celebrating its third birthday this March — Ross’s influence on Glasgow’s grassroots poetry culture is impossible to ignore.
But Ross is far more than an event organiser. He’s a published poet whose pamphlet Once Upon a Time in Glasgow captures the emotional textures of life in the city, exploring disability, queerness, love, heartbreak and resilience through deeply personal storytelling. His spoken word performances have taken him from intimate Glasgow venues like The Hug and Pint to the stages of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Loud Poets, and last year he brought his solo show Gay, Disabled, Vegan to the Free Fringe.
Beyond poetry, Ross spent over five years creating content for BBC The Social, using storytelling and commentary to highlight disability, accessibility and what it means to navigate the world as a queer disabled artist. His writing has appeared in SNACK Magazine, and he’s collaborated with organisations such as the Scottish Queer International Film Festival, all while completing an MLitt in Creative Writing at University of Glasgow.
In this episode, Richard and Ross talk about the journey that led him into poetry, the communities he’s helped build across Glasgow’s open mic scene, and how art can help people connect — especially when it’s rooted in honesty and lived experience. The conversation is warm, reflective and often funny, exploring everything from disability activism and creative identity to the simple magic of watching someone read their first poem on stage.
Along the way, we also hear short audio reflections from poets across Glasgow who share what Ross’s work — and his open mic nights — have meant to them and the city’s growing spoken word community.
If you’re interested in the heart of Glasgow’s poetry scene, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
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