Derek Dohren

Derek Dohren is a Herefordshire based bus driver whose poetry style is said to mirror that of his driving technique: highly expressive and liable to veer off in odd directions. Detours, low bridges and emergency braking are all likely to punctuate the wistful wanderings of his prose. Travel with him by all means, but have the right change, and make sure you’ve told an adult where you’re going.

Derek has been performing all around the south-west of England since 2017. ‘Frictionless Motion’ is his third poetry collection with Gloucester publisher Black Eyes Publishing UK. His previous collections are a celebration of a unique style, described by one astute commentator as ‘quietly subversive’.

Derek Dohren - Publications

…Dohren deftly explores the interconnectivity of surreal and mundane elements that make up human existence…  Frictionless Motion is in two sections, but the ‘soul connection’ between the poet and his deceased friend Ana, shines over the whole collection. For Dohren, ‘time’s not linear’ and his journeys into the human psyche take us round many hairpin bends…  Ultimately, we are left with a sense of profound fulfilment ‘You don’t have to be anything in this life/because/you already are it.’ - Sara-Jane Arbury, writer, poet, performer, tutor

“Being human’s a tough gig” writes Derek Dohren in this, his 3rd poetry collection. He takes a look at our world and our lives from unexpected angles - from the mundane to the mad, from the light to the profound… from the melancholy to the hilarious… the toughness of that human gig comes to the fore as he produces his most personal work yet; dealing with the love for someone precious but lost…. Frictionless Motion is excellent and intriguing. It will linger with you. - Chloë Jacquet, award winning performance poet and slam champion

From the mind space of a bus cockpit… the everyday and global are examined in this often, surreal take on one man’s journey, as he navigates both his scheduled route and a life which may have ‘diversions in place’. -  Zak D. Dicks, Gloucestershire Poet Laureate, founder and director of Gloucester Poetry Festival

This is a lovely collection. Moving, thought-provoking and entertaining on the page, and with the wit and humour that you always get from Derek’s live performances. I wish I’d known Ana too. - Colin Wells, multiple poetry slam winner. 

Wasp in My Cockpit

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Online book launch via Zoom, Monday 16th November 2020.

Painting remains an important creative outlet for me. The artist’s statement that sits on my website begins with “When words are insufficient it is the role of the painter to step in”. On the occasions I turn to the paints and the brushes I am thus relieved of the need to find words to convey a feeling or an experience. Oftentimes this is liberating, but equally so it can lead to a certain dissatisfaction, and the realisation of an unfulfilled vision. If a picture paints a thousand words then you had better be sure you have precisely transferred the inspirational promptings of your muse onto canvas. There is no shortage of paint, of colour, of canvas, just as there is no shortage of words in the world. The 26 letters of the alphabet are more than up to the job. The missing ingredient then in whichever of the disciplines I employ may simply be identified as my own technical shortcomings. On reflection, and with all that in mind, it may be more accurate to amend that artist statement of mine to begin “When one is unable to find the right words …”.

Sadly, in such times those paints and brushes may find themselves carrying an unfairly heavy burden of expectation. But perhaps those deficiencies are really the strengths of the artist, in whichever field of the arts he or she practices. After all, the cracks are where the light gets in. The world famous classical music composer Claude Debussy was alleged to have remarked that “music is the silence between the notes”.

I am always delighted to hear what someone has taken from one of my paintings or poems because the narrative I have arranged may have unlocked a train of thought or teased out a reverberation I had not considered in the creation, irrespective of how successful I felt I had communicated what I had set out to say. This neatly also resolves the ‘technical shortcomings’ worry. Something has been communicated and received, albeit perhaps ‘between the notes’, and that’s worth celebrating. I have come to accept there is no separation between my writing and my painting. They are facets of the same thing. The response to a piece of writing or to a painting is at least as important as the motivation behind the creation, at least for this particular artist.

My hope then is that this collection of poetry, my second with Black Eyes Publishing UK, will reveal plenty of shafts of light to illuminate those darker areas. I wish to thank Josephine and Peter Lay at Black Eyes for the tirelessly professional way they have nudged and cajoled my words into shape and presented them to you in this fine book.

Take the poems however you see fit. Acknowledge the emotions they stir up. Read between the lines. Nod in agreement and rage with indignation. Enjoy.

Derek Dohren, November 2020

Martin Driscoll, Director/Design Head at Worcestershire Lit Fest & Fringe: “So, lucky reader, you are in for a rare treat, if you know Derek’s work it won’t disappoint but if he is a new name to you then buckle up and prepare to be transported (by bus probably!)… Derek is a wonderful writer and performer, a popular performer at our Worcester based Speakeasy open mic poetry and spoken word events and is always a worthy, witty, spellbinding and charming headliner… He can be as direct as a ransom note or spin out surreal tales that take you on a long journey but either way, he delivers without fail.”

Suz Winspear, Worcestershire Poet Laureate 2016-17: “Derek Dohren takes us with wit and insight on a journey from daily reality into a realm of the weirdly surreal. You've never been on a bus-ride quite like this!”

 Z D Dicks, Gloucester poet laureate and founder of the Gloucestershire Poetry Society, Editor of Apex Poetry: “In this collection Dohren reveals his shaft of light, his eye as a painter, which he uses to capture emotions. Dohren is an expert at creating big narratives and then slapping them down with mundane humour. In this collection expect the universe to be questioned, swans, romance and a prospective love interest (but she already has a boyfriend called Kevin).”

Front Book Cover by Pelágia Pais, Intuitive Guide and Artist. www.pelagiapais.com

Book Cover Design: Jason Conway - thedaydreamacademy.com

Everything Rhymes with Orange

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It has never been my intention to tell anyone how they should or shouldn’t interpret my work. That is the sole preserve of you, the reader. It is a philosophy I take with me from my efforts as a painter.  The reward is that I’m often pleasantly surprised to hear what catches the attention of those who stop to look or listen. It’s humbling to receive that insight and wisdom.  Occasionally I’m shocked to have missed something profound in my work that is subsequently made obvious to me and of course, from time to time it’s uncomfortable to receive a scathing critique!

 No matter, whichever way the feedback falls it seems to me that handing out prior clues and guidelines to how a piece of creative work should be understood restricts the possibilities of what a viewer, a reader or a listener may otherwise experience. Nobody needs to be told what to think, or what to feel. In that spirit I cordially invite you to browse the poems in this book as you see fit, and to make of them what you will. Whatever thoughts and emotions they foster, will be properly your own.

 Derek Dohren, June 2019.

Dohren is a writer & performer who lets his personality come through his work. His… voice charms audiences with poignant/comedic moments… come across his work and you will be left wearing a thoughtful smile…

Chris Richard Beale, Tonic, Bristol.

Derek Dohren is one of my favourite poets. Original, clever and witty, his poems can be heard/read again and again without ever losing their appeal.

Clive Oseman, Oooh Beehive, Swindon.

Dohren’s work brings together astute observations with beautiful turns of phrase. His style… brings a fresh perspective to contemporary living.

Charley Barnes, City of Worcester Poet Laureate.

 Derek Dohren’s poetry takes you on a whimsical journey… Just when you think you know where you’re going, he flips the script and leaves you… gobsmacked, laughing or crying…

Stephen Grimes, co-founder of Food For Thoughts, Gloucester.

 Dohren has an artistic flair that I’ve always admired. His words are crafted with such passion, resilience and thought…

Robin Hood-Shaw, Aspiregers, Cheltenham.

 Derek Dohren is an exceptional wordsmith, creating his own universes from drily humorous and poignant observations.

Gary D. Poetry, Piranha Poetry, Stroud.

 Derek Dohren, a shark basking in a sea of words, swallowing the tastiest…

…Derek is the man that possibly isn’t Derek, but probably is.

Sandra and David Ireland, Words and Music, Stroud.

Dohren invites us on a route that twists and turns… but charlatans, socialites, prigs and snobs had better get off the road… His voice is as distinctive on the page as it is at the mic. Entertaining to the last.

Sharon Larkin, Cheltenham Poetry Society

Front Book Cover by Pelágia Pais, Intuitive Guide and Artist. www.pelagiapais.com

Book Cover Design: Jason Conway - thedaydreamacademy.com