Direen, William (Bill)

IN BRIEF

William (Bill) Direen is best known as a poet and musician who has combined his talents in numerous publications and performances in New Zealand and overseas. Direen's collections of poetry include, Inklings (1988), Crappings (1993), and New Sea Land (2005). He has also written scripts and lyrics for theatrical productions, and a wide range of his fiction has appeared in literary journals and magazines. Bill Direen continues to publish across genres, including poetry, short and long fiction, theatre, and music.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Direen, William (Bill) ( - ) is a poet, fiction writer, playwright and musician who has combined his talents in numerous publications, and performances in New Zealand and overseas. A well-known figure in Wellingtons musical circles, Direens overseas experiences include a period living in a collective in former East Berlin. "The Factory", a short story focusing on this experience, was broadcast on National Radio in 1998.

Direens three collections of poetry are Inklings (1988), Crappings (1993) and Evolition (1995). He has also written scripts and lyrics for theatrical productions, including one for a childrens music-theatre puppet piece. A Memory of Others (1998) contains thirty of Direens song lyrics, and an essay on his twenty years experience in bands and theatre groups. His essay, "Expatriation and New Zealand Poetry," appeared in the NZ Listener.

A range of fiction writing has appeared since Direens first fiction piece, "Slices of Man" was published in 1981. His novel WORMWOOD appears in Sport 18 (1997). It focuses on a Balkan refugee living in Berlin. Other fiction works include "Luke and the After Image" (NZ Listener, 1998); "Little Jimmy, Sidler" (NZ Listener, 1998); "Sunshower" (Landfall, 1998); "Jumping Man" (Sport 20, 1998); "Smoke the Book and The Art Historian" (Trout, 1999).

Direens works for stage include Fawkes Alive (1989); Dial a Claw (1990), directed by Alan Brunton; and Raoul the Capitalist (1992), directed by Mary Anne Bourke. He has also adapted existing works for the stage, including Sam Shepards The Killers Head and Rainer Fassbinders Bremen Freedom.

Direens most recent works include: The Impossible (2002) a collection of short stories. Song-Plays (2002) a collection of theatre-music pieces, and Nusquama (2002), a novel made up of several stories. Spanning the better part of the twentieth century it describes the formation and break-up of a Flying Nun style (indie pop) band.

Onævia (Alpha Books, 2002) is Direens third novel and completes the utopian trilogy of Wormwood and Nusquama.

Jules (2003) is the story of a middle-aged, insomniac art historian haunted by personages from the paintings he lectures about. It is set in Paris, and is a sympathetic, humorous study of a man at a crucial turning point in his life.

Coma (Titus Books, 2005) is the story of a person fighting for her life. It is Direens fifth work of fiction.

New Sea Land (Titus Books, 2005), Direens fifth book of poetry is a reflection upon the variety and force of todays New Zealand and its Sealanders.

Enclosures (Titus Books, 2008) is a collection of five different stories cleverly connected to build up an atmosphere, not only of being isolated, but also of the eternal need to break free. The stories traverse the centuries, from the time of the Pharoahs to the present day, from Babylon to Wellington, NZ.

The annual international literary magazine Percutio (Edited by Bill Direen) for this year (2008) will be released shortly. It features photography by Dunedin Wunderkind Nigel Bunn and work by many others local, national and international.

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Media links and clips

• Information about William Direen on the Titus Books site
• Bill Direen on the Flying Nun Records site

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