Photograph by Laura Meek
“Iona Lee has long been considered one of the finest spoken-word and live poetry performers around.”
– SNACK Magazine
Iona Lee is a poet, artist, and performer from Edinburgh. She has been a prominent member of Scotland’s live poetry scene for over a decade, appearing on radio and television and performing her work in venues and on festival stages all over the UK and Europe. Her critically acclaimed debut collection, Anamnesis, was published by Polygon in 2023. What I Love About A Cloud Is Its Unpredictability, Iona’s pamphlet of concrete and visual poetry, was published by Trickhouse Press in 2024.
Her work is concerned with themes of folklore, philosophy, magic, media, truth and tale-telling, art and artifice, memory, and other hauntings.
Jerwood Poetry Award, (shortlisted). The Somerset Maugham Award, 2024. John Byrne Award, 2022. Young Women Scotland 30 Under 30, 2022. The Edwin Morgan Award, (shortlisted). Saltire Award, (shortlisted). Scottish Slam Champion, 2016.
Awards
Irish Pages, Boundless, The Scotsman, The Morning Star, Gutter Magazine, 404 ink, Tangerine Press, Speculative Books, The Skinny, Bella Caledonia, Rising Magazine, Palimpsest.
Publications
StAnza festival poet in residence, 2024. Typewronger writer in residence, 2024. Heysahorn, Faroe islands, 2023. Tae Write
Wi’ A Fifer residency, 2022.
Residencies
Media Appearances