Iona Lee

I am a poet, illustrator, writer and spoken word artist, and have been working in the spoken-word world since the tender age of seventeen. I won the Scottish National Slam at nineteen. Since then my work has appeared in newspapers, magazines and journals and my debut pamphlet was published by Polygon in 2018. It was shortlisted for best poetry pamphlet at both Saboteur and Saltire Awards.

I have made many appearances on radio and television and regularly perform at and organise poetry nights up and down the UK. I spend my summers touring festivals including Glastonbury, Kelburn Garden Party and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. In 2018 I created an hour-long spoken-word/theatre show with my band Acolyte for Hidden Door Festival.

I have a degree in illustration from Glasgow School of Art and have been involved in both drawing and poetry workshops with the Scottish Poetry Library, Toonspeak, the Outwith Agency and Hermat Gryff Woman’s Aid. I am interested in all aspects of poetry and illustration, especially in how one can influence the other and vice versa.

My work often centres around themes of grief and loss, memory, magic, storytelling, folklore, word-smithery and womanhood. All served self-aware and with a good dollop of humour.

(Photo credit: Trackie McLeod)