Hello - I'm Alden Carrow

Alden Carrow is a British poet, independent publisher and literary cartographer whose work explores the relationship between landscape, history, memory and human life.

 

Born and raised in North Yorkshire, at age 10 Alden won a Poetry Reading Competition held at Harrogate Conference Centre. Alden's writing is deeply rooted in the landscapes of Britain and the stories held within them. From ancient geology and forgotten industries to villages, coastlines, cities and communities, his poetry seeks to look beyond the surface of a place and discover the layers of history that have shaped it.

 

He is the creator of British Counties In Verse, an ongoing literary project that explores Britain one county at a time through poetry. Each collection journeys through a county's landscapes, people, history, folklore and identity, creating a poetic record of the places that make up the British Isles.

 

The project began with North Yorkshire In Verse: Moor To Shore In Poetry and has since expanded to include Cornwall In Verse: Tide To Tor In Poetry, Cumbria In Verse: Lakes To Fells In Poetry and Somerset In Verse - Exmoor To Fells In Poetry. Future collections will continue the journey across Britain, building an ever-growing literary map of the country.

 

Alden's approach to poetry is shaped by a belief that landscapes can be read.

 

A hillside is more than a view. A harbour is more than water and stone. A ruined building, a dry-stone wall, an old railway line or a mining village can hold centuries of human experience. Beneath every landscape lie stories of labour, migration, industry, faith, conflict, community and change.

 

Through his work, Alden explores the meeting point between land and memory — the ways in which people shape places, and places in turn shape the people who live within them.

 

Alongside his poetry, Alden writes about independent publishing, creativity and the changing world of the modern author. He is also the host of Alden Carrow's Poetry Podcast, where he discusses poetry, publishing, the life of a working writer and the creative process.

 

His work can be found across books, articles, podcasts and digital platforms, all connected by a shared belief in the enduring importance of place and story.

 

British Counties In Verse

 

British Counties In Verse is Alden Carrow's ongoing attempt to create a literary map of Britain through Paperback and eBooks.

 

Each collection approaches a county not simply as a destination, but as a living landscape shaped by deep time and human experience. The poems travel through moors and mountains, coastlines and valleys, market towns and industrial communities, ancient sites and modern streets.

 

Together, the collections form an expanding journey across Britain — one county, one landscape and one story at a time.

 

Alden's Work

 

Alden Carrow's writing explores:

 

- British landscapes and regional identity

- Place-based poetry

- History and local heritage

- Geology and deep time

- Industry and the changing landscape

- Folklore and cultural memory

- Communities and belonging

- Independent publishing and creative entrepreneurship

 

His aim is not simply to describe a place, but to listen to it.

 

To understand what came before.

 

And to leave behind a record of what it means to be there.

 

Alden Carrow

 

Poet. Literary Cartographer. Independent Publisher.

 

Creator of British Counties In Verse — mapping Britain in poetry, one county at a time.