“Why Bother?”

Why come to Oxford and spend your time interviewing the homeless, particularly when you’re surrounded by brilliant minds from all over the world?

The truth is that when I imagined Oxford with its vaulted prestige I never dreamed there were so many people living outdoors underneath the regal archways, café awnings, and shopfront displays. The homeless population certainly isn’t advertised, yet it is as much a part of the city as the spires, libraries, public houses, and cobblestone walkways.

There are people getting paid by the pound to show off these old buildings and introduce people to living and breathing Oxford, while simultaneously ignoring these seemingly permanent fixtures.

My interview centers on one question, “People see you every day, and you see people, what is one thing you want those people walking past you to know? What’s one thing you would tell them if you could get their attention?”