Meet John

Hello,

I’m John, a poet and activist, who has always called Cardiff my home. I grew up here, studied journalism here and went on my first protest right outside Cardiff Castle for the Occupy movement.

I’ve been giving voice to the issues that matter to me through my poems for over a decade. I think that you understand a lot about a place from the people who live there and the things that they fight for or against. A while back, I lost my job around the same time as being evicted as the landlady wanted to sell up, I was in a vulnerable position. I was living in temporary accommodation until recently, looking after my mental well-being.

Being involved in the creative community in Cardiff has played an important part in this. I don’t always like to give eye contact – it’s nothing personal, but part of living with Aspergers. However, I’ve always enjoyed researching the stories and events that make us, and being able to use my interest in social history as part of (Invisible Cardiff) has given me much more confidence.