Our Stories Matter – A Movement Begins
The inauguration of Our Stories Matter, founded by Suzanah Buckland and hosted by Northumbria University on 17 June 2026, brought together an exceptional panel of Romany Gypsy speakers whose achievements reflect the richness and diversity of Gypsy literature, education, and culture.
The atmosphere was electric. A sell-out audience gathered to celebrate Romany Gypsy academics, authors, poets, storytellers, and creative writers proudly showcasing their work—continuing a tradition of storytelling and preserving a history that stretches back centuries.
Romany Gypsies have had a documented presence in Britain for more than 500 years and are recognised as one of Britain’s oldest established ethnic minority communities. Yet despite this history and cultural contribution, Gypsy literature remains largely absent from libraries, educational settings, and cultural spaces. For decades, people have spoken about the lack of representation.
One Gypsy woman decided it was time to do something about it.
After self-publishing The Lady and the Romany Rye, the story of her mum and dad, following her book launch, Suzanah visited her local library only to discover that, unless she donated her own book, it was unlikely to reach the shelves. Rather than accept this, she began searching for other Gypsy and Traveller authors, by launching the Our Stories Matter Facebook group with a vision of creating book fairs where stories could be celebrated and shared with a dream to take the show on the road with Gypsy and Traveller authors across England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
That vision quickly became a reality.
While promoting her book at a Romany Gypsy fair, Suzanah met Rosanne Black, Project Coordinator within the School of Communities and Education at Northumbria University. Rosanne immediately recognised the importance of the idea, and together with Gentylia Lee, she began planning the inaugural Our Stories Matter event.
Within just six weeks of launching the Our Stories Matter Facebook group, Suzanah had brought together 52 Romany Gypsy author members from England, Scotland, and Wales. Novelists, poets, academics, researchers, storytellers, and creative writers united behind one shared ambition—to ensure that books written by us are visible, valued, and celebrated.
What began as one woman's determination quickly became a movement, with the Women's Romany-Gypsy Empowerment Network CIC (WREN CIC), Co-Directors Gentylia Lee & Allison Hulmes as the supporting directors of Our Stories Matter.
Celebrating Gypsy and Traveller Excellence
The event was expertly chaired by Rosanne Black, whose professionalism, enthusiasm, and commitment played a vital role in making the inauguration such a success. The panel reflected the remarkable breadth of talent within Romany Gypsy community.
Among the speakers was Richard O’Neill MBE—one of Britain’s most respected storytellers, authors, and educators—who was awarded an MBE in 2025. Richard has spent decades inspiring audiences through storytelling, education, and creative writing in schools, universities, museums, and cultural institutions across the UK and Europe.
Gentylia Lee, an English Romany Gypsy author of The Mystery in Being a Gypsy, campaigner, and community advocate—is Co-Director of WREN CIC. Her work across health, education, and social care, together with her commitment to seeing Romany Gypsy history included within the National Curriculum, reflects the values at the heart of Our Stories Matter.
The audience also heard from James Botton‑Dolan—author of A Rose in a Mist—a British Romany Gypsy poet, memoirist, and emerging filmmaker whose work explores lineage, mysticism, and the lived realities of travelling life in Britain.
Lynn Huggins‑Cooper, an English Romany Gypsy author of more than 200 books and is best known for her many children's books including One Boy’s War, she a lecturer in Creative Writing at Falmouth University and is a Regional Organiser for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI); Billy Welch, a Romani storyteller, cultural advocate, and long‑standing organiser associated with Appleby Horse Fair.
Allison Hulmes, a Welsh Romany social work academic at Swansea University, co‑founder of the Romani and Traveller Social Work Association, and the first Romani representative to the International Federation of Social Workers. Allison is actively involved in preserving her Welsh Romany heritage, culture, and language, and has published her poetry and short stories in the Kin anthology and Gypsy Writers and is Co‑Director of WREN CIC.
Together, they demonstrated exactly what Our Stories Matter stands for—celebrating Gypsy and Traveller excellence in literature, education, academia, culture, and the arts, while creating visible role models for future generations. This movement is not about highlighting what is missing; it is about building the visibility that future generations deserve.
Our sincere thanks go to Natalie Louise Wheelan, author of Blended But Not Forgotten: The Ethnically Cleansed Gypsies of Scotland, for attending the event and documenting the day through her photographs.
By Gentylia Lee