New Zealand Writers

DIREEN, William (Bill)

A well-known figure in New Zealand's musical circles, Direen has been concentrating on writing since 1996.

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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 Wellington's musical circles, Direen's 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.

Direen's 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 children's music-theatre puppet piece. A Memory of Others (1998) contains thirty of Direen's 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 Direen's 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).

Direen's 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 Shepard's The Killer's Head and Rainer Fassbinder's Bremen Freedom.

(KC.)

Updated Information

Direen's 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 Direen's 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 Direen's fifth work of fiction.

New Sea Land (Titus Books, 2005), Direen's fifth book of poetry is a reflection upon the variety and force of today's 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.