Dolly Parton Visits Rotherham in 2007: Launching the Imagination Library

In December 2007, a moment of unexpected celebrity intersected with a small South Yorkshire town when country music legend Dolly Parton visited Rotherham for the UK launch of her Imagination Library program. The visit, arranged as part of a broader literacy initiative, brought together local leaders, families, and dignitaries in a disused steelworks, introducing the town to a star whose warmth and philanthropy would leave a lasting impression.

Shane Jarman, then deputy headteacher at a local school, was midway through decorating a Christmas tree when he received an urgent call to come to Rotherham Hospital. His wife, Claire, had just given birth to their daughter, Emma, weighing just 4 pounds 6 ounces. Upon arrival, he learned they were about to meet Parton, who had traveled to the UK to promote the Imagination Library. Within minutes, the hospital hallway filled with flashing cameras, and Jarman recalled seeing Parton cradle his newborn daughter, her signature red nails catching his eye. “I was very nervous about the nails to be quite honest,” he admitted.

Parton’s arrival in Rotherham marked the British expansion of the Imagination Library, a program she founded in her home state of Tennessee over a decade earlier. The initiative mailed a free, age-appropriate book to children each month from birth until age five, delivered in the child’s name. While Rotherham—a former mining and steelworking hub—might have seemed an unlikely setting for a high-profile launch, Parton embraced the town’s industrial heritage and her own humble roots to connect with the community.

“Did I get it right? Rother’h’m?” she asked, playfully adopting a Yorkshire accent. The gesture was part of her effort to break down barriers, reflecting her belief that literacy was a universal need. Parton described Rotherham as “a heart spot for me,” drawing parallels between the town’s post-industrial struggles and her own upbringing in rural Tennessee. “I totally related to Rotherham,” she later said. “When they were making fun of me for coming out here, I thought, *Don’t make fun of me.*”

The Rotherham Imagination Library launched with skepticism from some residents, who questioned the purpose of the program. Deborah Bullivant, who led the initiative after Parton’s visit, noted that many families initially wondered, “Why Dolly Parton? What is this thing?” However, the program gradually shifted perceptions by delivering personalized books directly to homes. “For many families who didn’t have a background in reading, it changed the culture within their homes,” Bullivant said. The personal involvement of Parton—a figure known for her business acumen and down-to-earth charm—helped dispel doubts.

Though the Rotherham scheme ended in 2015 when local council funding ceased, its impact extended across the UK. The program expanded to Doncaster, North Lincolnshire, Southwark in London, and Nottingham, where Parton even attempted a local phrase: “Ay up me duck!” Globally, the Imagination Library has distributed over 300 million books, with 6.3 million given to children in the UK alone—starting with Emma Jarman, who received *The Tale of Peter Rabbit*, personally signed by Parton, on the day she was born.

Emma Jarman, now 18, is preparing to study biomedical science at university. Her father hopes she’ll bring the signed book with her, a small but meaningful keepsake from the day Dolly Parton visited Rotherham.

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