Wordsworth Trust

The Wordsworth Trust, one of the preeminent literary heritage sites and archives in the UK, offers 14-week unpaid internships to four BYU undergraduates per year (one in winter, one in fall, and two in spring/summer). Situated in the heart of the English Lake District in the picturesque village of Grasmere, the Trust’s campus includes Dove Cottage (the house where William and Dorothy Wordsworth wrote many of their most legendary works), the Jerwood Centre (a research library with a world-class collection of manuscripts, rare books, and landscape art pertaining to the Wordsworths and British Romanticism), and a museum, gift shop, and café. Interns work primarily as curatorial trainees in the Jerwood Centre, but they also participate in outreach projects and serve as docents at Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum. Outside of working hours, students socialize with their fellow trainees (most of whom are recent college graduates from the UK), attend the Latter-day Saint branch in nearby Kendal, explore the region’s world-famous landscapes, and complete coursework for their BYU classes. Former interns consistently rank this experience among the highlights of their undergraduate years, as students come away with a deeper appreciation of British literature and culture, 12 hours of academic credit (6 of which can count toward the English major), and transferable skills for careers in museums, libraries and archives, secondary and higher education, and non-profit management.

QUALIFICATIONS

Wordsworth Trust internships are reserved for currently enrolled students at BYU (Provo campus only) who are 18 or older and either majoring in English or employed part-time at the HBLL. Ideal applicants are typically preparing for careers in literary studies, librarianship, non-profit management, or museums or heritage institutions. Should no qualified English major or HBLL employee apply, other BYU students may be considered. Prior to this internship, English majors should complete ENGL 291 and ENGL 292 and, if possible, an upper-division course pertaining to British Romanticism (e.g., ENGL 384 or 387). Successful applicants will demonstrate strong communication and interpersonal skills, stable physical and mental health, the experience and maturity to flourish in a workplace where they might be the only American and Latter-day Saint, and the courtesy and dependability to maintain BYU’s strong relationship with the Trust.

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