The Door-to-Door Poet: My Adventures Across England

A madcap literary mission across England

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.

Hardback | 288 pages | Published September 2025