| Len Pennie | |
| Birth Date: | 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Lanarkshire |
| Occupation: | Poet, Scots language performer |
| Language: | Scots |
| Nationality: | Scottish |
| Education: | University of St Andrews |
| Movement: | Scots Language |
| Awards: | Scots Language performer of the year 2021, St Andrews Society of Los Angeles' 2020 Poet Laureate, Scots Book of the Year 2024 |
| Website: | Twitter feed |
Len Pennie is a poet, Scots language performer and writer, and mental-health advocate.[1] She became known on social media in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland for her "Scots word of the day" and poem (Scots: poyum) videos.[2] [3]
Pennie grew up in Airdrie [4] in a household speaking Scots with her parents, grandparents and siblings. Her mother and father are teachers. She credits her grandparents and mother for teaching her Scots, and inspiring a love of languages. She also speaks Spanish and French.
Pennie has a Master of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of St Andrews.[5]
Pennie has worked as a chef.
Growing up, Pennie competed in Robert Burns poetry recital competitions.
When she was furloughed from her work in a restaurant during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Scotland, she began posting a video with a Scots word each day on Twitter to show the pronunciation and meaning of the word and how to use it in context.[6]
Her poems include I'm no havin children, contrasting the English "children" with the Scots "weans",[2] which went viral in October 2020.[7] Following the online popularity of her posts, she says she received online abuse, including misogyny[3] and disagreement as to the status of Scots as a language,[7] and critics including George Galloway suggested Pennie has a "faux identity" and is a supporter of Scottish nationalism; however, Pennie also received support from actor Michael Sheen,[8] comedian and nationalist campaigner Janey Godley,[9] author Neil Gaiman,[3] [10] writer Billy Kay,[7] food writer Nigella Lawson, TV presenter Greg Jenner[6] and independence supporter and playwright David Greig.[11]
Pennie was one of five Scots commissioned to write a poem for a local Christmas campaign by Lidl about the Daft Days.[12] A recitation of Robert Burns' Rantin’ Rovin’ Robin was shared by the Scottish Poetry Library,[13] and she performed to over 1,200 people for the University of St Andrews' online Global Burns Night[14] and at a National Trust for Scotland's Big Burns Night in January 2021.[15] In February 2021, Pennie was commissioned by a campaign group Witches of Scotland to write and perform a poem for their online video In Memorial, to honour those, mainly women, who were persecuted under the Witchcraft Acts.[16] In November 2020, the Saint Andrew's Society of Los Angeles invited her to write a Scottish diaspora poem which resulted in "Scots Nothin Tae Dae Wae That", and in March 2021 they named her their society's Poet Laureate.[17]
In March 2023, Canongate Books announced publication of a short collection of her poetry, Poyums.[18]
Pennie was a judge for a BBC Radio Scotland youth writers competition on climate change.[19] [20] She wrote an article for TES about using Scots in the classroom.[21]
In September 2022, Pennie became a columnist for The Herald.[22]
In March 2024, Pennie revealed she was in a physically and emotionally abusive relationship with Gregor Monson between 2017 and 2020. He began harassing Pennie after she left him. He was charged and initially pled not guilty, with a trial set for April 2022, but it was adjourned. In 2024 at Dundee Sheriff Court, Monson pled guilty to domestic violence and was sentenced to a two-year behavioural programme for domestic abusers. Pennie was granted a 3-year non-harassment order. [23]