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Len Pennie’s Poyums with Power

As performance poet Len Pennie publishes her first book of ‘poyums,’ she talks to The Culture Scene about survival, mental health and turning trolls into poetry.

The Culture Scene goes behind the screens with TikTok phenomenon and performance poet Len Pennie as she records her latest Scots Word of the Day and gets ready to launch her very first collection of ‘poyums’ at the National Library of Scotland.

Len talks about growing up with Scots and why she advocates for the minority language in her posts and poems. The hugely popular poet shares her journey as a survivor of domestic abuse, her struggles with mental health, and talks about the real dangers of online trolling, which nearly pushed her to the brink.

We follow Len to the biggest live event she has done so far - the launch of her book poyums in Edinburgh. Whether she is writing letters to her younger self, advocating for women’s rights or adapting fairy tales to process an abusive relationship, Len’s voice is bold, honest and unmistakably hers. We hear her reading some of her electric debut about loving, learning, surviving, growing and giving.

3 months left to watch

9 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Featured Artist Len Pennie
Series Producer Kath Pick
Production Manager Kirsty Stewart
Producer Rowan Charleson

Broadcasts

Podcast