Refuge from the Ravens: Wordsworth rewritten by homeless Britain

In 1798, Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge sparked a literary revolution. Poems in everyday language told of people on the margins of society. A new project, Refuge from the Ravens: Wordsworth rewritten by homeless Britain, is a twenty-first century remix — new Lyrical Ballads made by people with experience of homelessness, and other vulnerable people, in poetry, art and song.

In this online event Phil Davenport and Julia Grime, the project directors, will give an overview of the project and explore the ways in which the project makers connected and responded to the original Lyrical Ballads, including the work that they created, the exhibitions they participated in, and their experiences during the project and beyond. Professor Fiona Stafford will also introduce the original Lyrical Ballads and their historical context. The speakers will also look at books and manuscripts from the Wordsworth Trust’s collection close-up on screen, and there will be audio recordings of the old and new Lyrical Ballads performed by the project makers.

Refuge from the Ravens: Wordsworth rewritten by homeless Britain is a project by Zwiebelfish CIC, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Work from the project has been exhibited at Wordsworth Grasmere and Bury Art Gallery, and will be on display at the Houses of Parliament from mid-May. Part of this discussion will explore the impact of these exhibitions on visitors, makers, and the creative leaders.

How to book and attend

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

Five free tickets are available for those experiencing financial hardship that would otherwise not be able to attend. This is on a first come first served basis with no questions asked about your situation. Please email Hannah at h.catterall@wordsworth.org.uk

Live captions will be provided by Otter.ai

About the speakers

Fiona Stafford is Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford. She has written widely on Romantic literature, and edited William Wordsworth’s Lyrical Ballads 1798 and 1802 for Oxford World’s Classics. She is also a nature writer and broadcaster. She has presented series for BBC Radio 3 on the symbolism, importance and meaning of trees, flowers and beaches.

Philip Davenport is a poet and text artist who has collaborated with Manchester’s homeless community through interviews, poems, artworks and songs. His projects include The Homeless Library (2014-16) — the first-ever history of British homelessness, which was exhibited at the Houses of Parliament and London’s Southbank — and the illuminated manuscript, A Book of Ours (2019-22) now part of the permanent collection at John Rylands Library.

Julia Grime is an arts producer who has worked in theatre, dance and cinema with a particular interest in social justice. Her Berlin-based project, Out of the Black Box (2016-18) with refugees and people with learning disabilities addressed diversity and equality within German theatre. She is currently exploring the intersection of the arts and environmental issues, studying for a masters degree at Lancaster University, whilst also co-directing Refuge from the Ravens.

This event is hosted by hosted by Jeff Cowton, Principal Curator & Head of Learning at Wordsworth Grasmere.

Image credit: Kieron