The Door-to-Door Poet

Rowan McCabe

A madcap literary mission across England

‘A cracking idea, well executed’ Ben Aitken

What do you think would happen if you knocked on a stranger’s door and offered to write a poem for them?

Rowan McCabe wanted to find out. In doing so, he became the world’s first Door-to-Door Poet. He banged on people’s doors and asked what was important to them. He then went away and wrote a poem about it, free of charge, which he brought back and performed on their doorstep.

Emboldened to find that nobody punched him in the face, 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 many places in between. This is the story of his adventures.

Writing with warmth, honesty and humour, McCabe shines a light on a range of communities as he explores what is important to us today. The Door-to-Door Poet is a joyful and thoughtful portrayal of one very unusual mission and the many and varied voices that make up a nation.

‘Honest, whimsical, thoughtful and poetic. A cracking idea, well executed. I can't wait for McCabe to knock on my door’ Ben Aitken, author of The Gran Tour

‘A very funny, very charming book with lots of madcap adventures which becomes a book about modern Britain in its diversity, and that’s what I love about it’ Stuart Maconie, BBC Radio 4 Loose Ends

‘It’s fabulous to see poetry brought to life in this way. It’s so relevant and meaningful’ Rachel Burden, BBC Breakfast

‘I love all of this. I love this idea, I love the book’ Gaby Roslin, BBC The Make a Difference Show

‘Absolutely riveting’ Attila the Stockbroker

‘A funny, self-aware chronicle of the year McCabe spent in pursuit of a madly brilliant project’ NARC Magazine

Hardback: 256pp

Published: Eye (September 2025)

ISBN: 978178563434