Canongate lands début collection from TikTok poet Pennie

Canongate will publish poyums, the début poetry collection by Len Pennie, the TikTok performance poet behind the viral “I’m No Havin’ Children”.

World rights were acquired by Helena Gonda, senior commissioning editor, from Ludo Cinelli at Eve White. The collection will publish in February 2024.

Pennie writes predominantly in the Scots language about the promotion of minority languages, survivors of domestic abuse and the destigmatisation of mental illness. Canongate described her voice as “bold, unashamedly forthright and unmistakably hers”.

Pennie said: “It’s always been my dream to publish a poetry collection, and I really hope people can resonate with poyums. It’s been a privilege to be able to use the Scots language in my work, and I owe it to the people who taught me, guided me and came before me to help pave the way for Scots authors.

"I use poetry as a conduit for both catharsis and healing, and I want to share that feeling with anyone who reads my work. [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.”

Gonda said: “Pennie 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.”