Poyums: A Poetry Extravaganza with Len Pennie

Love an evening of poyums and performance? Then we have a treat for you! We're celebrating the very best in Scots poetry & feminist spoken word in a night inspired by Len Pennie's wicked new collection POYUMS!

The performance poet sensation offers us an electric debut collection about loving, learning, surviving, growing and giving.

Whether she’s 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, unashamedly frank and unmistakably hers. The poems in this collection, both funny and fiercely feminist, announce a formidable new talent. Moving deftly between English and Scots, poyums is as approachable as it is affecting.

Join us to toast this gorgeous book AND revel in the work of fellow artists and poets.

Len Pennie is a poet who writes predominantly in the Scots language. She writes passionately about the promotion of minority languages, survivors of domestic abuse and the destigmatisation of mental illness.

Alongside Len, we're delighted to feature performances from the following poets:

Nasim Rebecca Asl is a Glasgow based poet. Her work has been published widely in magazines and anthologies, including in Poetry Wales, Poetry Scotland and Modern Poetry in Translation. Nasim has worked on projects with the likes of The Poetry Translation Centre, The Poetry Business and the Rugby League World Cup. She has received a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award for Poetry and was shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award. Nasim has performed across the UK, and regularly chairs events. Her debut pamphlet, Nemidoonam was published by Verve Poetry Press in February 2023.

Shane Strachan’s debut collection DWAMS will be published in April by Tapsalteerie. He was awarded Scots Champion at the 2023 Scots Language Awards following his year as the National Library of Scotland’s Scots Scriever. His previous works include novella Nevertheles (amaBooks), ‘The Shelter’ staged with the National Theatre of Scotland, and multiple poems and stories in Gutter, New Writing Scotland, Northwords Now, Stand and others. His poetry has also appeared on BBC Radio 4 and in Aberdeen Art Gallery. He holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Aberdeen where he now lectures in Creative Writing.

Gray Crosbie is a Glasgow-based poet who writes about queerness, gender and relationships. They perform regularly at poetry and cabaret nights around Scotland, have featured at festivals including the Edinburgh International Book Festival and Primadonna, and have competed in national-level poetry slams. Their work has been published in numerous anthologies and magazines and has been featured on BBC The Social. In 2022 they wrote and staged “Lycanthropy”, a new spoken word theatre show, funded by Creative Scotland, which explores masculinity from a trans-masculine perspective through a story about modern-day werewolves. Their pamphlet of flash-fiction, Love, Pan- Fried, is available from Knight Errant Press.