i am ill with hope: poems & sketches by Gommie (paperback)
salamanderstreet
In 2019 Gommie began walking the coastline of an England with nothing but a backpack, a tent and an unusually large collection of pens. His aim? Searching for Hope during increasingly hard times.
From being lost on the Dover Hills to bankruptcy in Rhyl, or wild camping in Scarborough and the beat-up hotels of Fleetwood, Gommie’s extraordinary journey is still ongoing, and his findings, a refreshing mixture of texture, illustration, poetry and verbatim conversations, are a gentle homage to the often overlooked places we inhabit and the frequently forgotten voices we hear.
Gommie is a Poetartist. He incorporates the written word, performance, painting, illustration and travel into his work. Gommie trained and worked as an actor before moving into the visual arts in 2016, as a response to Brexit. He quickly made a name for himself, winning “The Soho House Mentorship award” and producing solo shows with Messums Gallery and Daniel Raphael Gallery.
This is his first published collection of poems and sketches.
‘Gommie’s work is incredibly exciting and dynamic. It changes as our climate does,
both political and social. It is very sincere and authentic at a time when so much seems to be fake.’
– Emilia Clarke
