Connecting with my own English Gypsy heritage has been a lifelong background hum, that I can sometimes barely hear; or swells to a choir, as it has recently, thanks to poets & writers such as @joclement.co.uk @rainegeoghegan.bsky.social @louisedoughty.bsky.social @profdavidmorley.bsky.social 2/7 - ThreadSky

nicolawriting.bsky.social • 3 days ago

Connecting with my own English Gypsy heritage has been a lifelong background hum, that I can sometimes barely hear; or swells to a choir, as it has recently, thanks to poets & writers such as @joclement.co.uk @rainegeoghegan.bsky.social @louisedoughty.bsky.social @profdavidmorley.bsky.social 2/7

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nicolawriting.bsky.social•3 days ago

Thanks to @rainegeoghegan.bsky.social, I wrote about my experience in this beautiful book KIN by @salmonpoetry.bsky.social Things I recognise as part of that purlieu, that diaspora; whispered winds of words themselves, too often packed away. And at the weekend, new revelations, goosebumps .. 3/7

nicolawriting.bsky.social•3 days ago

We gathered to listen to @joclement.co.uk & Dan Turner read from these poetry collections & a woman sitting beside me, that I hadn’t yet met, squeezed my hand as we were both moved. Here is one of Dan’s poems … 4/7

nicolawriting.bsky.social•3 days ago

The warm, lovely woman beside me turned out to have had Romany family in West Berkshire, where I live. ‘A tiny scattered village under the downs, with a funny name’ she said. ‘Go on?’ said I.
‘Inkpen.’
So, that’s my village.
Goosebumps.
We swooped names & places in common, commons too 5/7

nicolawriting.bsky.social•3 days ago

It turns out that her family lived on our same road. And not only that, that I’ve written about them, one in particular (a cousin) in my forthcoming book Ghosts of the Farm, not knowing they were Romanies at all. The book that keeps presenting hauntings, & friendly ghosts… 6/7

nicolawriting.bsky.social•3 days ago

So it was an extraordinary day of warmth & connection, exploring the archives, recognising buried & half-remembered things. Words are a power: stories, poems & song, the vessels that hold us. As Dan Turner says ‘That the act of writing is a charm’ & David Morley,
‘And of the true Lees .. no word.’

joannacdobson.bsky.social•2 days ago

This thread sent shivers down my spine. What an amazing event

rainegeoghegan.bsky.social•2 days ago

I look forward to ready from #KIN with you dear Nicola. 😍

nicolawriting.bsky.social•2 days ago

Me too Raine!

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