Prowl and Seek: Memoir of a Busker by John G Davies

When creative talent John G Davies' calendar of performing gigs was cancelled by COVID, he formed a different plan, and this engaging memoir details his fifteen-town, 19-day busking tour around Aotearoa in 2022.

John travelled with his Alhambra guitar, and he drove from Auckland to Whanganui, and from Tauranga to New Plymouth.

John is an actor, writer, theatre director, teacher and international busker – and his story of busking during the 2022 lockdowns captures his own story within this surreal time in our history.

Having busked in New York City, John occasionally busked again, and this seemed the perfect option during times of red-light settings and social distancing. He successfully got funding from Creative New Zealand and was on his way.

Prowl and Seek captures the immediacy and joy of street performance, but also the neglect of passers-by and interactions with the desolate and lost. This is an elegantly written slice of life.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Ugly Hill Press