Ma Mum & William Wordsworth - Julie Kennedy | Motherwell Library

In 1803 William Wordsworth, the well known Romantic poet visited Lanark and the surrounding area as part of a walking trip with his sister Dorothy, and the poet P.B. Shelley.  This inspired local author Julie Kennedy to write her novel 'Ma Mum & William Wordsworth'.  She has now published this as an ebook after being awarded a Scots Language Publication Grant.

Part coming of age, part road trip, written in Lanarkshire dialect, the story is from the point of view of a fifteen year old lassie called Erin.  This is the second edition of the novel.  The first edition was longlisted in MsLexia's 2013 First Novel competition. 'Ma Mum & William Wordsworth' is a book about grief but also about making a way and finding a voice when you're young and working class and happen to like poetry.  Its about when a parent dies and caregiving roles shift.  It's a story rooted deeply in its setting in Scotland, firstly in Lanarkshire and then in Glasgow.

A writer and poet, Julies's work has been published widely in poetry magazines such as New Writing Scotland, Causeway/Cabhsair, Southword and the Poetry Society Newsletter.  She was highly commended in the Ledbury 2022 Poetry Competition.

Join us in Motherwell Library where Julie will be discussing her novel and the inspirations behind it.