Len Pennie and Julie McNeill discuss writing, motivations, and all things poetry in this evening addition to A Blether o' Books 2026.

New for 2026, Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and A Blether o’ Books are introducing an event held on the Saturday evening of Blether weekend. All the fun of the daytime Blethers, but with increased capacity, discounted museum entry, and a fully operational bar!

Len Pennie, Scottish poet, performer, and mental-health advocate sits down with Julie McNeill, poet-in-residence for St Mirren FC and Makar of the Hampden Collection. The pair will discuss each others work, along with each of their careers up to this point, their literary influences and their motivations for writing poetry.

Len Pennie, born in 1999, grew up in Airdrie and Dunblane, Scotland, speaking Scots with her family, who inspired her love of languages. She also speaks Spanish and French and holds a Master of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of St Andrews. She initially gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 by posting daily videos on social media highlighting Scots words and their usage, which quickly went viral.

Pennie writes predominantly in Scots, often blending English and Scots in her work. Her debut collection, Poyums, published by Canongate Books in 2023, became a Sunday Times bestseller and won a British Book Award. The poems are written in rhyme, with about half in English and half in Scots, and explore themes such as feminism, mental health, and Scottish identity. Her second collection, Poyums Annaw, was published in 2025 and also received strong recognition in independent bookshop rankings.

Beyond poetry and her support of minority languages, Pennie is a mental-health advocate, and frequently addresses stigma and societal misconception around domestic abuse, aiming to create spaces where domestic abuse is openly discussed, having experienced this in her own life.

She has received support from notable figures including Neil Gaiman, Michael Sheen, and Nigella Lawson, while also facing online criticism regarding the status of Scots as a language.

Julie McNeill is a poet, author and performer with a particular interest in writing for wellbeing & mental health and supporting children and adults with additional support needs (ASN). The Poet-in-Residence for St Mirren Football Club Charitable Trust, she is – as far as can be established – the only female poet attached to a professional football club in the UK, perhaps in the world. She is the Makar for The Hampden Collection, set up to preserve and protect Scotland’s footballing heritage.

Julie’s work has been commissioned by BBC Sport Scotland and the Scottish Poetry Library, and in 2024 she won The Burrell Collection Hidden Gems poetry competition. Recent poetry collections include Something Small (Drunk Muse Press 2023) and Ragged Rainbows (HybridDreich 2021) and the award winning non-fiction book for children Mission Dyslexia (JKP Books 2021).

Check out the A Blether O' Books: Scotland Through Literature Collection for other events in this series.

Refunds will only be given in the event of cancellation by organisers.

Description supplied by the event organiser.