Keats 200 Special: Interview with Rob Shakespeare, Principal Curator at Keats House

On 23 February 1821, in a second-floor apartment overlooking Rome's Spanish Steps, the poet John Keats died. Aged just 25, he had finally succumbed to the tuberculosis that had been threatening his health since early 1820. He never knew the profound effect his poetical works and life had on legions of people worldwide, as his fame came after his premature death.  Today, two hundred years later, we celebrate the life and death of one of the most remarkable poets ever to have put pen to paper. To mark this occasion, we present to Keats fans across the globe an exclusive interview with Rob Shakespeare, the Principal Curator at Keats House, London.  Keats House (formerly known as Wentworth Place) was where Keats lived during his most productive period and where he penned many of his famous verses, including 'Ode to a Nightingale' reportedly whilst sitting beneath a plum tree in the garden. It is also where he met his love, Fanny Brawne, after her family moved into the other half of Wentworth Place.  In this interview, the K-SAA's Director of Communications, Dr Anna Mercer, and K-SAA Communications Fellow 2020-1, Amy Wilcockson, quiz Rob Shakespeare about Keats House's Keats200 celebrations, his favourite aspect of working at this atmospheric location, and the future of Keats' former home. 

Video below, or here.

For more information on Keats House please see the Linktree here, which provides links to Keats House events, exhibitions, the Keats House website, and social media channels. The Our City Together website, featuring online exhibitions and a virtual tour of Keats House, can be found here. For further information on online events being held at Keats House and to book tickets, please see here. 

Thank you to Rob Shakespeare for a wonderfully insightful interview.