The Door-to-Door Poet

Author: McCabe, Rowan

Memoirs

Published on 18 September 2025 by Eye Books (Eye) in the United Kingdom.

Writing rhymes for strangers on any subject they choose - as featured on BBC Radio 4Aware 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.