Michael Pedersen

Michael Pedersen is a Scottish poet and author. His acclaimed prose debut, Boy Friends, was published by Faber & Faber in 2022 and was a Sunday Times Critics Choice. He’s unfurled three collections of poetry, the most recent being The Cat Prince & Other Poems (Little Brown, 2023) — the title poem of which was shortlisted for the Forward Prizes for Poetry. His debut novel Muckle Flugga was released in 2025.

With work anthologised by the likes of Pan MacMillan and Canongate, Pedersen has collaborated with musicians, film-makers, and visual artists. His writing has appeared in the likes of: The Poetry Review, The Guardian, New Statesman, The Rialto, The Dark Horse, Gutter, The Scotsman, Q Magazine, and more.

Pedersen also co-founded Neu! Reekie! – a prize-winning literary production house that produced cutting edge shows in Scotland and the world over for over ten years. Within this capacity he has produced and curated events for: Edinburgh International Festival; Edinburgh International Book Festival; Hull City of Culture; Mayor of London’s Borough of Culture; BBC Arts; and more. He also co-edited the Neu! Reekie! anthology series, published by Polygon Books, charting ten years of Neu! Reekie! through poetry and music.

He was Writer in Residence at The University of Edinburgh (2023—2025), and is the current Edinburgh Makar.