Len Pennie: Warrior Poet

Len grew up performing in Burns' competitions, where she really found her love of poetry and the Scots language. After being furloughed during the pandemic, she became known for her 'Scots word of the day' and poem videos: posting a video each day about a Scots word to show its pronunciation and meaning.

Len's recitation of 'Rantin’ Rovin’ Robin' was shared by the Scottish Poetry Library, and she performed to over 1,200 people for the University of St Andrews' online Global Burns Night, and at the National Trust for Scotland's Big Burns Night in 2021. She was also commissioned by the campaign group Witches of Scotland to write and perform a poem for their film "In Memorial" to honour those, mainly women, persecuted under the Witchcraft Acts.

Len's work predominantly focuses on mental illness, feminism and the Scots language. She holds an MA in Spanish language and literature from the University of St Andrews, and is a columnist for the Herald. Len was Poet Laureate of the St Andrews Society of Los Angeles 2021, Scots performer of the year 2021 and was nominated for a Young Scot Award in 2022. Her debut poetry collection, Poyums, launches February 2024.