Frances Roberts Reilly
@francespoesis.bsky.social
🇨🇦 Roma, Poet, Author, Podcaster, Playwright, Filmmaker, Storyteller, Documentarian, Harpist, Welsh Gypsy, Nan.
Author of Parramisha: A Romani Poetry Collection & Akekoi: A Romani Memoir
Poetry Wales & Firebird Awards.
Producer, Watershed Writers Podcast.
Author of Parramisha: A Romani Poetry Collection & Akekoi: A Romani Memoir
Poetry Wales & Firebird Awards.
Producer, Watershed Writers Podcast.
Two Roma authors meet in Toronto for a kushti lunch to discuss many possible collaborations. #LynnHutchisonLee
November 26, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Two Roma authors meet in Toronto for a kushti lunch to discuss many possible collaborations. #LynnHutchisonLee
Sitting in on ERIAC conference that respects, honours and cares about Romani language and identity. Welsh Kale is invited and represented on a transnational basis.
November 5, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Sitting in on ERIAC conference that respects, honours and cares about Romani language and identity. Welsh Kale is invited and represented on a transnational basis.
80th birthday photoshoot for my book cover and upcoming appearances at readings, storytelling and spoken word.
October 15, 2025 at 2:17 AM
80th birthday photoshoot for my book cover and upcoming appearances at readings, storytelling and spoken word.
Inspired by Mozart’s pet starling whose song he used for piano concerto 21.
So for my next book about birds & #Roma nomads, I’m downloading bird songs to transpose onto my harp, putting words & music together. Well, guess what? The birds are appearing and I’ve already sketched out four new poems.
So for my next book about birds & #Roma nomads, I’m downloading bird songs to transpose onto my harp, putting words & music together. Well, guess what? The birds are appearing and I’ve already sketched out four new poems.
September 21, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Inspired by Mozart’s pet starling whose song he used for piano concerto 21.
So for my next book about birds & #Roma nomads, I’m downloading bird songs to transpose onto my harp, putting words & music together. Well, guess what? The birds are appearing and I’ve already sketched out four new poems.
So for my next book about birds & #Roma nomads, I’m downloading bird songs to transpose onto my harp, putting words & music together. Well, guess what? The birds are appearing and I’ve already sketched out four new poems.
Cute kitty.
Vesta loves her playpen on the balcony.
Vesta loves her playpen on the balcony.
September 17, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Cute kitty.
Vesta loves her playpen on the balcony.
Vesta loves her playpen on the balcony.
Travellers' Times feature on my Poetry Wales Award Winning poem - Ils/Eels for Tea. Written in English & Welsh Kale Romanes, respecting Harry Turpin Wood, fisherman & rabbit catcher.
"For a Welsh Romani poet, this national award in Wales is a rare honour."
www.travellerstimes.org.uk/news/2023/11...
"For a Welsh Romani poet, this national award in Wales is a rare honour."
www.travellerstimes.org.uk/news/2023/11...
August 25, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Travellers' Times feature on my Poetry Wales Award Winning poem - Ils/Eels for Tea. Written in English & Welsh Kale Romanes, respecting Harry Turpin Wood, fisherman & rabbit catcher.
"For a Welsh Romani poet, this national award in Wales is a rare honour."
www.travellerstimes.org.uk/news/2023/11...
"For a Welsh Romani poet, this national award in Wales is a rare honour."
www.travellerstimes.org.uk/news/2023/11...
Light of Iris. Georgia O’Keeffe. Graces my bedroom wall.
August 22, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Light of Iris. Georgia O’Keeffe. Graces my bedroom wall.
International Cat Day featuring Vesta.
August 8, 2025 at 10:44 PM
International Cat Day featuring Vesta.
Picking up my harp playing after a year long heart condition that required surgery. Getting back into my scales, arpeggio’s and my ancestor’s #Roma Welsh Gypsy jigs and hornpipes; connecting my poetry in songwriting. #TeuluAbramWood #WelshKaleHeritage
August 4, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Picking up my harp playing after a year long heart condition that required surgery. Getting back into my scales, arpeggio’s and my ancestor’s #Roma Welsh Gypsy jigs and hornpipes; connecting my poetry in songwriting. #TeuluAbramWood #WelshKaleHeritage
The ancestors - the greats, grandmother Winnie Wood & grandfather Edward Wood, father & daughter. Grandfathers - John Roberts, Albert Roberts; Welsh Gypsies all, sending their music across time & space. It’s a privilege telling their story in my book Akekoi: A Romani Memoir (Guernica Editions 2026).
July 5, 2025 at 2:51 PM
The ancestors - the greats, grandmother Winnie Wood & grandfather Edward Wood, father & daughter. Grandfathers - John Roberts, Albert Roberts; Welsh Gypsies all, sending their music across time & space. It’s a privilege telling their story in my book Akekoi: A Romani Memoir (Guernica Editions 2026).
Happy Canada Day. True north strong and free.
July 1, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Happy Canada Day. True north strong and free.
@doclynne.bsky.social Hi Lynn. Came across this book, ‘The Home Children’ gifted from a friend. Don’t know if you already have this photo of Quarrier’s Home Children in Brockville, Ont ., Canada. Dated 1928-1930.
June 30, 2025 at 8:18 PM
@doclynne.bsky.social Hi Lynn. Came across this book, ‘The Home Children’ gifted from a friend. Don’t know if you already have this photo of Quarrier’s Home Children in Brockville, Ont ., Canada. Dated 1928-1930.
Oh and this happened. As you do, I got a new hairdo for my 80th birthday splurge.
June 19, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Oh and this happened. As you do, I got a new hairdo for my 80th birthday splurge.
May 24 is St. Sara La Kali day. She is a wise woman, imparting secret knowledge & as female #Roma we are known to have access to this veiled vision. As Saiforella Wood said, “the dear Kali gives us Kaule the gift of seeing all things.”
From my memoir, Akekoi: A Romani Memoir.
From my memoir, Akekoi: A Romani Memoir.
May 24, 2025 at 8:42 PM
May 24 is St. Sara La Kali day. She is a wise woman, imparting secret knowledge & as female #Roma we are known to have access to this veiled vision. As Saiforella Wood said, “the dear Kali gives us Kaule the gift of seeing all things.”
From my memoir, Akekoi: A Romani Memoir.
From my memoir, Akekoi: A Romani Memoir.
On World Labyrinth Day. Walking the sacred Feminine path for world peace.
Ceramics by moi.
Ceramics by moi.
May 3, 2025 at 7:18 PM
On World Labyrinth Day. Walking the sacred Feminine path for world peace.
Ceramics by moi.
Ceramics by moi.
Happy birthday. Seamus Heaney.
April 13, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Happy birthday. Seamus Heaney.
We won at the auction bidding securing the portrait of John Roberts - Welsh Romany Harpist. In partnership with Rhiain Bebb of the Cyfeillion y Delyn Deires - Triple Harp Society we have kept his portrait in Wales. It will soon have pride of place in their performance space. #TeuluAbramWood
April 13, 2025 at 4:21 PM
We won at the auction bidding securing the portrait of John Roberts - Welsh Romany Harpist. In partnership with Rhiain Bebb of the Cyfeillion y Delyn Deires - Triple Harp Society we have kept his portrait in Wales. It will soon have pride of place in their performance space. #TeuluAbramWood
Getting my MS ready for publishing by Guernica Editions. Lots of fact checking, cross references and style polishing going on. Excited and a tad scary that my #Romani memoir will be a first in Canada🇨🇦.
April 11, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Getting my MS ready for publishing by Guernica Editions. Lots of fact checking, cross references and style polishing going on. Excited and a tad scary that my #Romani memoir will be a first in Canada🇨🇦.
Happy #InternationalRomaniDay. We proudly celebrate our #Welsh #Gypsy language and culture. Bringing back #WelshKale chib means it is not dead. It lives and survives with many #Romani dialects in this Canadian Roma diaspora of 100,000. We say “Opre Roma” with 14 million worldwide.
April 8, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Happy #InternationalRomaniDay. We proudly celebrate our #Welsh #Gypsy language and culture. Bringing back #WelshKale chib means it is not dead. It lives and survives with many #Romani dialects in this Canadian Roma diaspora of 100,000. We say “Opre Roma” with 14 million worldwide.
Our artwork is ready for the course on the Romani dialect of my Welsh Kale Gypsy ancestors. We’ll be learning together at your own pace. The Course will be free with no hidden costs because language is our values, identity and our culture that’s not for sale.
March 28, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Our artwork is ready for the course on the Romani dialect of my Welsh Kale Gypsy ancestors. We’ll be learning together at your own pace. The Course will be free with no hidden costs because language is our values, identity and our culture that’s not for sale.
World Poetry Day. My contribution to our fab community.
March 21, 2025 at 7:31 PM
World Poetry Day. My contribution to our fab community.
She’s being inscrutable at my news that two publishers have received the ms of my memoir Akekoi: A Romani Memoir.
March 4, 2025 at 12:40 AM
She’s being inscrutable at my news that two publishers have received the ms of my memoir Akekoi: A Romani Memoir.
Seems timely to repost this poem for peace, translated into 120 languages and now into Welsh Kale Romanes at the request of the poet, Pen Kemp.
March 2, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Seems timely to repost this poem for peace, translated into 120 languages and now into Welsh Kale Romanes at the request of the poet, Pen Kemp.