As announced in The Bookseller, Canongate will publish Scots language poet Len Pennie‘s debut collection, poyums.

In the announcement, which you can read in full here, Canongate described Len’s voice as “bold, unashamedly forthright and unmistakably hers”, with the collection touching on topics as varied as “the promotion of minority languages, survivors of domestic abuse and the destigmatisation of mental illness.”

Len, a poet and TikTok star whose ‘I’m No Havin’ Children’ went viral, said: “It’s always been my dream to publish a poetry collection, and I really hope people can resonate with poyums. [This collection] for me is an expression of pain, passion and perseverance, and I hope people cry less reading the collection than I did putting it together.”

Senior commissioning editor Helena Gonda said: “[Len] has an incredible voice and this is a special collection: moving and deeply personal, but with a hidden strength imbued throughout, her ambition is to unpick experiences that are often difficult to articulate.”

poyums will be released on 22nd February 2024 and is available for pre-order now. You can order your copy here.

Follow Len on TikTok @misspunnypennie and Twitter @Lenniesaurus.