Door-to-Door Poet

Writing rhymes for strangers on any subject they choose - as featured on BBC Radio 4'I love this idea, I love the book' - Gaby RoslinAware that poetry isn't a proper job, Rowan McCabe decided to turn it into one by becoming the world's first door-to-door poet. Knocking on strangers' doors, he asked what was important to them, then went away and wrote a poem about it, free of charge, which he brought back and performed on their doorstep.Ignoring the advice of friends and a local police officer, he took the project to the deprived Byker Wall estate in Newcastle upon Tyne. Nobody punched him in the face. Emboldened, he set out on a tour of England, knocking on the doors of Moss Side in Manchester, Jaywick in Essex, the remote island of Lundy and Buckingham Palace.The Door-to-Door Poet is his funny, uplifting account of that journey. Through a series of such encounters, McCabe shines a light on a range of English communities, as he explores what is important to us today. Written with the humour of Bill Bryson, plus a touch of Louis Theroux, the story is punctuated by his own poetry. This is a warm and charming portrayal of England today.

ROWAN McCABE was raised by a punk and a hippy on a Tyneside council estate. Showing an interest in poetry from an early age, he went on to study English Literature at Newcastle University.He is the creator of North East Rising, a show of performance poetry about his love/hate relationship with his home town, and co-devised and starred in a short film for Channel 4's Random Acts.He has toured the country in two stage shows based on his door-to-door poetry project. His work is the subject of a BBC Radio 4 programme to be aired in October 2025.