Door-to-Door Poetry is a project invented by Rowan McCabe. It lasted from 2015-2020. Starting in his home town of Newcastle upon Tyne, Rowan began knocking on strangers’ doors and asking what is important to them; he then went away and wrote a poem about this, free of charge, before bringing it back and performing it on their doorstep.
Through this bold and arguably stupid act, Rowan was trying to prove that absolutely anyone can enjoy poetry and that strangers aren’t as scary as they’re made out to be. The project was funded by Arts Council England and was featured in the Guardian, on BBC Breakfast and on NPR.
Rowan blogged about the entire experience and you can read the stories of the people he met and the poems he wrote for them here; from the beginnings of the project and his visit to the infamous Byker Wall, to his journey around the whole of England, including his trip to the Anti-Fracking Nanas in Preston and the isolated island of Lundy.
Rowan also performs on stages as well as doorsteps and has appeared at Glastonbury Festival and the Royal Albert Hall. To find out more about him visit www.rowanthepoet.com
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“Ingenious”– BBC Radio Scotland
“Highly talented with verse”– Broadway Baby
“Absolutely riveting”– Attila the Stockbroker
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