Rommi Smith: Notes from a Residency

Rommi Smith, our Poet in Residence for September, will read finished and in-progress poems inspired by her residency, alongside existing work. She will explore a re-reading of William Wordsworth’s poem on daffodils, and Dorothy Wordsworth’s journal entry about the subject, in a context of liberation narratives and, specifically, Wordsworth’s ‘Sonnets Dedicated to Liberty’.

This event is hosted by Michael McGregor, Director of the Wordsworth Trust, and will include an audience Q&A.

About Rommi Smith

Rommi is a poet, playwright, theatre-maker, performer, librettist and broadcaster. She is a Doctor of Philosophy in English and Theatre and winner of The Northern Writers’ Award for Poetry. In 2007, she was appointed inaugural Parliamentary Writer in Residence. Her work centred upon the parliamentary exhibition: The British Slave Trade: Abolition, Parliament and People, marking the bicentenary of the parliamentary act to abolish to slave trade. Rommi has held residencies at Keats’ House, for the British Council and is a three-time writer in residence for the BBC. She is a contributor to Front Row, Poetry Please, The Verb, The Essay and the radio documentary Invisible Man: Parable for our Times?

Rommi has spent her residency in Grasmere working with the education team developing new workshops and resources for outreach school visits, holding pop-up readings in the garden, giving an online reading, facilitating a workshop for Dove Cottage Poets, and working on new writing.

• On Friday 21st October 2022 at 10.00 p.m., Rommi will feature in an edition of BBC Radio 3’s The Verb. The theme of the whole programme is inspired by her Wordsworth Trust residency theme: Liberation Narratives. Rommi will talk about, and reflect upon, her residency and read a selection of new writing produced during her time in Grasmere.
• The W.B. 10^th October 2022 at 10.45 p.m., Rommi presents an edition of BBC Radio 3’s: The Essay. The programme focuses on Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending and references the work of William Wordsworth. Rommi recorded her essay during her time in Grasmere.

How to book and attend

Please read our guide to booking and attending online events before you purchase a ticket.

This event is a Zoom Webinar and the audience will not appear on screen. Live captions will be provided by Otter.ai and all poems screenshared.

Photograph of Rommi Smith © Lizzie Coombes