Northampton writer’s poetry project goes global, saving lives with ‘simple but powerful’ messages

“Yesterday, I was. Tomorrow, I will be. Today, I will take my time and enjoy being me.”

You might recall happening upon mindful quotes like the above on notice boards in train stations or on numerous posters in shopping centres like the Grosvenor or perhaps even on a skyscraper.

These little snippets of poetry scattered across the UK - and now in America and Australia - are the creations of Northampton born and bred author, James McInerney from Abington.

James, who has just published his sixth novel, had no interest whatsoever in poetry when he was younger.

“I actually stumbled across poetry and I found that writing things down, I started to find that it helped me in a cathartic kind of way,” he told Chronicle & Echo.

The budding young writer began to share his work on social media and he accrued more than 30,000 followers on Instagram.

James, however, was not yet fulfilled. He wanted to use his newfound love of writing to help other people, thus The Poetry Project was born.

It all started with a social experiment in 2018. On a whim, James contacted Transport for London (TfL) to ask if they were interested in displaying his work to hopefully brighten commuters’ days.

To James’ delight, TfL loved the idea and, soon enough, the Northampton poet’s mindful quotes could be seen written on notice boards in underground stations across the whole of London.

From there, the project took on a life of its own. The affirmations began to go viral on social media and James reached out to more companies and communities to get involved.

By the end of 2019, The Poetry Project had expanded to schools, businesses, train stations, shopping centres, gyms, office spaces and outdoor areas across the entire UK.

James ran high profile campaigns with company giants including Nokia and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), who displayed his poetry across their gardens up and down the country.

“Every day is like a ‘pinch me’ moment,” James said.

Locally, Weston Favell Shopping Centre has been part of the project since its fruition four years ago. Words from the Poetry Project can also be seen in the Grosvenor shopping centre, Northampton Town Football Club and St Katherine’s Gardens, which was spruced up during the Coronation’s Big Help Out.

The project was particularly impactful during the coronavirus pandemic, when mental health was at an all time low, and then the cost of living crisis that followed.

James said: “Everyone is going through something so, when they just happen across something where they don’t expect to see it, it is a nice surprise.”

James told Chronicle & Echo about a time a woman messaged him online after going to a shopping centre in America feeling suicidal. She noticed the project and the words made her pause and think. ‘It saved my life,’ she told him.

“This project makes you pause and stop and reflect and snaps you out of that bubble,” James said, “If you are not alone, then how you feel is easier to manage. It is very simple but very powerful.”

Follow The Poetry Project on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.