About The Wordsworth Lecture: Romantic Ecology Rebooted
This year’s Wordsworth Lecture is given by author Jonathan Bate, sharing his hugely influential work on Wordsworth and sustainability, Romantic Ecology.
As the first truly ecological poet, Wordsworth articulated a powerful vision of human integration with nature, which influenced later conservation movements and is of immediate significance to us all today.
Recently updated and more relevant than ever, Bate will be in conversation with Professor Drummond Bone, in an evening illuminated by dramatic readings from William and Dorothy Wordsworth's works.
There will be live music from folk rock band the Smoke Fairies, and a special performance by the celebrated actor of stage and screen, Emily Woof.
Part of Green Libraries Week 2025.
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Jonathan Bate
Jonathan Bate is Regents Professor at Arizona State University and the former Provost of Worcester College, Oxford.
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Jonathan Bate is Regents Professor of Literature and Foundation Professor of Environmental Humanities at Arizona State University and a Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College, Oxford, where he was formally Provost. Among his 20 books are Romantic Ecology, The Song of the Earth and Radical Wordsworth: The Poet who changed the World, which won a Lakeland Book Award in 2020. His acclaimed BBC Radio 4 series In Wordsworth’s Footsteps is still available on the iPlayer. He is chair of the Hawthornden Foundation, supporting writers and literary organizations, and will shortly become a trustee of the Wordsworth Trust.
Venue and bar opening times
This is an in-person only event in the British Library Knowledge Centre.
The Knowledge Centre and bar open from 18.00.
Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event. If you have specific access requirements please email customer@bl.uk
Concessions
There are a range of concessions available. These include discounts for British Library Members, Young Persons (16–25s), and visitors on Universal/Pension Credit and free entry for carers.
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