Len Pennie’s review of Poyums

Imagine my delight when a friend sent me a video of a woman delivering feminist rage in iambic pentameter and a thick Scottish accent. That’s how I was introduced to the work of Len Pennie. She originally shared the video with me partly because of the aforementioned feminist rage, but also because of our shared Scottish heritage (she’s Scottish, I’m about half Scottish), and my friend wanted to know if I could make out the Scots words she used in her work. I did, in fact, but I wasn’t fluent enough to parse them all as she delivered her passionate recitation. That’s okay, though, because she also posts a “Scottish Word of the Day” on social media, in which she chooses a Scottish word, usually related to an anecdote or comment she’s received. She tells you what the word means, tells you how to pronounce it, and gives you an example sentence (with English subtitles for translation). In her words, she’s “spreading Scots like a language frenzy,” and I’m here for it.

Pojums

Pojums is a compilation of 64 original poems, some of which were originally shared on Pennie’s social media accounts. Using a mix of Scots and English, the poems explore themes such as domestic violence, mental illness, women and girls empowerment, and Scottish culture. As a fluent Scots speaker and linguist, Pennie deftly guides even the least familiar reader to fall in love with the language. Her absolute love for the language is palpable, and she is able to seamlessly generate a sense of familiarity and accessibility to the language through repetition and context. I highly recommend her work to anyone curious about the Scots language, it is as beautiful as the work of Robert Burns, but much more accessible and understandable. Using clever rhyme and rhythm, Pennie guides us through these raw and honest poems that are sometimes brutal, but equally witty and clever. Frankly, none of their poems are perfect, which is a truly amazing achievement.

I cannot stress enough that both the audiobook and the written version are worth purchasing in order to get the full experience. The audiobook is also read by Pennie and is an absolute treat. The audiobook is a journey through the emotions of her poetry and it really evokes a reaction from the listener, sometimes joy and laughter, sometimes tears. Len recorded the book in one sitting and was allowed to “scream” (or she was allowed to yell in the studio, using Scots) in the recording studio. As a result, the audiobook really captures the raw essence of her words and is a great way to hear them pronounced in Scots. Reading it alongside the written reading will help the reader dissect and digest the words of poyums and identify the Scots spelling* which will allow for a quick Google search. Also, as there is not really a formal spelling system for Scots, most words have multiple acceptable spellings; but by using Len’s preferred spelling you have a starting point which makes searching in Scots dictionaries easier.

Penny said on social media that she chose not to include a vocabulary list because she wanted readers to not just flip to the back of the book to identify individual words, she also wanted to encourage readers to learn more about the Scots language and “continue their learning journey.” I would be remiss if I didn’t point this out, and Penny herself points it out in the video, and you can also ask your local library to stock her books, saving money if you can’t afford to buy both (or just one) of the books.

I can’t think highly enough of this book and of Len Pennie as a content creator, she’s really funny, entertaining and educational, crossover, witty and smart. You can find her on social media @misspunnypennie.