Len Pennie—winner of the Discover Award at the 2025 British Book Awards for debut collection, poyums—has been featured in The Bookseller‘s ’10 titles not to miss in September’ for her sophomore collection, poyums annaw.

On the second collection, The Bookseller‘s Caroline Sanderson wrote:

‘I have come late to the amazing Pennie but, as anyone who saw her Nibbies acceptance speech after winning the Discover Book of the Year Award 2025 knows, she is a resounding force for good. Fresh from that win, the performance poet and TikTok phenomenon, who writes in both Scots and English, follows her debut collection, Poyums, with a second, blistering collection that confronts patriarchy, gender-based violence and societal injustice with tenderness, a jousting wit and not a little righteous fury.’

There isn’t a timescale for how you should heal
Your bad days are valid, your heartache is real
But so is the day that your smile will return
That fire within you continues to burn
You will overcome this and continue to thrive
You are here, you are loved, you are whole, you’re alive.

A formidable follow up to her award-winning debut poetry collection, Len Pennie’s poyums annaw is just like her: defiant, angry and trailblazing. These poems are a call to arms, confronting ideas of patriarchy, gender-based violence and societal injustice with equal parts tenderness, quick-wit and righteous fury. poyums annaw firmly cements Len as a defining voice in contemporary Scots poetry.

Len’s debut collection, poyums, is a Sunday Times bestseller. Grab your copy here or, better, via your local bookshop or Bookshop.org.

Don’t forget that signed editions of poyums annaw, Len’s sophomore collection, are available for pre-order now. Get one here!

Follow Len on TikTok @misspunnypennie and Bluesky @lenniesaurus.bsky.social.