Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Wordsmith Len earns finalist spot at awards
A word-perfect Airdrie poet has been announced as a finalist in this year’s Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards.
Len Pennie was shortlisted in recognition of her incredible achievements, with the talented 21-year-old a finalist in the arts category.
She has received widespread acclaim for her work in destigmatising mental ill health, promoting equality for women and the freedom of expression in the Scots language.
Since her October 2020 poem I’m no havin’ children was penned, Len’s Scots Word of the Day videos have reached worldwide audiences on Tiktok.
Such success has seen her face online abuse including linguistic prejudice, misogyny, and condescending ageism, however the talented wordsmith took the trolling and spun them into the themes of her art form, responding in spoken word, sketches, and poetry.
Already recognised as an accomplished and exciting poet, Len has seen her work studied in schools across Lanarkshire and Scotland.
Len impressed an esteemed panel of judges with her outstanding contributions to her community.
The Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards aims to recognise and inspire extraordinary young people from across the country who are making a real difference to the lives of others.
Now in its 16th year, the awards highlight the triumphs of young people in a range of categories – from sport and the environment to enterprise and volunteering – and shine a light on the invaluable contributions made by remarkable young people across Scotland.
Kirsten Urquhart, from Young Scot, told the Advertiser: “The inspiring work of Len is a testament to what the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards are all about – recognising, championing and celebrating the achievements of Scotland’s young people.
“Congratulations to all of the 2022 finalists.”
The results will be announced on April 27 at a star-studded red-carpet awards ceremony hosted at Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre.
And the winners will join a prestigious roll call of previous recipients including Rupaul’s Drag Race champion Lawrence Chaney and social media star Jamie Genevieve.
Charitable duo Jack Mullen and Alfie King were crowned last year’s Young Scots of the Year for their work raising donations and keeping community spirit alive during the pandemic.