Elisabeth Rowe

Elisabeth, who now lives on Dartmoor, read English at Oxford and has worked as a teacher, a Citizens’ Advice Bureau Manager and a social worker. This poet has an uncanny knack of searching out the dark, as well as the light, aspects of humanity; and she enjoys writing satirical verse as well as her more serious poetry.

Sample poems:
Ice Queen In The Sauna
 Fat cat
By the Way

Oversteps publications
Thin Ice (2010)  OUT OF PRINT
Taking Shape (2013)  OUT OF PRINT
Timewise  (2019)

“On subjects ranging from domestic harmony to global catastrophe, Rowe writes with poise and elegance.” Dr R V Bailey

“Elisabeth Rowe’s poetry… can be serious, lyrical, funny and wise, but all the poems are written with a sparkling clarity that throws light on their subject… She combines intellectual rigour with a feel for the sensuous textures of the real world.” Ann Drysdale

Everything bears down from the north today:
high winds swan-feathering the cloud;
waves dashing headlong into the bay;
light leaping like a hare along the rocks.
When the lake stills, it almost brims over
the earth’s curvature, holding the inverted sky
as a careful child might carry a bowl of milk.

Extract from “Bird-watching”

‘On subjects ranging from domestic harmony to global catastrophe, Rowe writes with poise and elegance.’

Dr R V Bailey

‘Elisabeth Rowe’s poetry … can be serious, lyrical, funny and wise, but all the poems are written with a sparkling clarity that throws light on their subject. … She combines intellectual rigour with a feel for the sensuous textures of the real world.

Ann Drysdale

Recent news

  • A number of Oversteps poets will once more be reading at the Poetry on the Lake festival in northern Italy. Elisabeth Rowe will be launching her new book; and Alwyn Marriage will be taking part in a panel discussion on poetry publishing.

    [5-Sep-19 ]


  • Michael Swan, Elisabeth Rowe and Alwyn Marriage were all commended in the Poetry on the Lake poetry competition. Hilary Elfick won second prize and Alwyn Marriage was highly commended.

    [27-Jul-15 ]


  • Oversteps poets are well-represented among the prize-winners of the Poetry on the Lake poetry competition. In the open category, Hilary Elfick won second prize, Alwyn Marriage was short-listed, Michael Swan, Elisabeth Rowe and Alwyn Marriage were long-listed, and AC Clarke was highly commended in the formal category.

    [16-Jun-15 ]


  • Elisabeth Rowe won third prize at the Chagword Poetry Competition

    [29-Apr-15 ]


  • The Financial Times published a comic poem by Elisabeth Rowe in their Christmas issue, giving it more than half a page and illustrating it lavishly.

    [30-Dec-11 ]