Len Pennie: Poet who posted daily Scots word videos during Covid wins top literary award

A book of poetry by a writer who shot to fame during the Covid pandemic with her daily videos of Scots words has scooped a top literary prize.

Len Pennie's work, Poyums, which is now a Scottish Qualifications Authority set text and is written in English and Scots, has been named Discover Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. It is the first time in ten years that a poetry book has won an award known in the industry as the “Nibbies”.

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Ms Pennie, who has since published a second volume of poetry, Poyums Annaw, is published by Canongate Books. The award spotlights authors in underrepresented genres.

Scottish children’s author Julia Donaldson meanwhile won this year’s Children’s Illustrated book award with long-time illustration partner Axel Scheffler, for their book Jonty Gentoo: The Adventures of a Penguin. Repeat shortlistees and previous winners in 2020, Donaldson and Scheffler’s best-selling story of a penguin on the journey of a lifetime was their highest value picture book since 2004.

Overall Book of the Year 2025 was awarded to Patriot by Alexei Navalny, the posthumous memoir of the Russian opposition leader. His wife, Yuliya Navalny, who is to appear at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this summer, beat Boris Johnson, Gillian Anderson and Sir Chris Hoy in winning the award.

Len Pennie is the first poet to win a prize at the British Book Awards in ten years. | Book Awards

Other winners include Percival Everett, who won Author of the Year and Fiction Book of the Year for his 24th novel James, on a shortlist that featured David Nicholls, Sally Rooney, Colm Tóibín and Jacqueline Wilson.

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Philip Jones, chair of The British Book Awards, said: “The 35th year of these fabulous awards was the best yet, combining politics with pluralism, joy with hope. Our winners - among them Percival Everett, Kate Mosse, Rob Biddulph, Julia Donaldson, Waterstones, and Bloomsbury - speak to the great strengths of this trade.

“Excellence, fortitude. Imagination. Defiance. Longevity. Ingenuity. This is a business that stands for reading and its value to society. And for three decades now The British Book Awards has stood with it. The challenges we face - from artificial intelligence to authoritarianism - are growing, but we are many and we will not be moved from this purpose.”

Kate Mosse, writer and founder of the Women’s Prize, was awarded The British Book Award for Social Impact in celebration of Allen Lane, sponsored by Penguin Random House. The new award is inspired by Mr Lane and his mission to widen access to books and democratise reading.

Rebecca Sinclair, chief brand officer at Penguin Random House UK, said: “This is a special year, as we celebrate 90 years since Penguin’s founder Allen Lane changed reading with his launch of the first ten Penguin paperbacks. His transformative – some thought outlandish – idea was to provide quality literature at an affordable price. Widening access to books, in all forms and formats, is as relevant today as it was back in 1935.

“There are so many individuals and organisations working to remove barriers and inspire the next generation of readers and we’re delighted to see Kate Mosse awarded the first ever British Book Award for Social Impact. Her vision and ongoing commitment to the Women’s Prize, which has grown to become a formidable platform, has been unwavering and the impact of her work profound.”