MK Lit Fest Autumn Festival: Gommie – A Journey into Hope

Poet-artist Gommie began walking the coastline of England in 2019 with nothing but a backpack, a tent and an unusually large collection of pens. His aim? Searching for hope in these increasingly hard times. Through poetry and art, conversation and questions, he’ll bring us his findings – and explore what his extraordinary journey has brought to light.

From losing his way on the Dover Hills to bankruptcy in Rhyl and wild camping in Scarborough, Gommie recorded his journey in a deeply moving mixture of texture, illustration, poetry, and verbatim conversations in his book I am ill with hope – a gentle homage to the often-overlooked places we inhabit and the frequently forgotten voices we hear.

Gommie has recently been working on a piece homaged to his childhood, rollerblading weekly in and around Milton Keynes. He will also be sharing this poem and artwork for the first time with us.