William Direen is a New Zealand writer and performer. His writing ranges from fiction to poetry. From 2006 to 2017 he edited the trans-cultural literary magazine Percutio. His music activities include The Bilders and, lately, the trio . He lives in Otago, New Zealand. He is the subject of a documentary, Bill Direen, A Memory of Others, directed by Simon Ogston.
Critical responses
Early theatre work : "hard driving rhythms and surreal imagery".
James K. Baxter's Three Mimes "receive intelligent and effective treatment".
To Bitumen "an evocative memory piece… strong on physical sensations".
To Fowkes Alive : "a struggle against primeval and futuristic obstacles", "a gentle 'musical delirium' which raises smiles rather than laughter", "the surrealistic tale of a 'petrolhead' whose life flashes before his eyes the moment that he dies in a violent accident"
To Dial a Claw : "a living experiment in alternative staging";
To Raoul : "an exploration of exploitation", a story told "from its beginnings in the wastelands of kiwi suburbia to its chilly… conclusion.".
To Wormwood: "Entropy and death read as metaphors for the implosion of post-war Europe and the failure of capitalism.".
To Nusquama: "A well-written often humorous paradigm for the 21st century".
To The Impossible: "Direen's heightened ear for absurdity serves this collection well"
To Jules: "Romantic stereotypes collide noisily with modern realities and growing older means a confused prostate and even more complexing emotions. Jules is the story of a man at life's pivotal point.". "It's a delightful book, but it's a book to read as series of literary compositions." Jules was also described as "an indolent digression through European culture, art and Paris."
To the novellas: "a quick and devastating appearance"
To Song of the Brakeman: "a vividly conceived world here, manifesting slowly and brilliantly through its accumulating signs"
To Versions Translations: "the dark-tinted heart of the night, in the dense heart of the shade and very centre of the wind." Jacques Coulardeau imaginative critique, 2014.
To Versions Translations: "uses lovely – what I think of as reverse or encapsulating – cadences." Jan Kemp criticism, 2014.
To the documentary 'A Memory of Others': " him within the 20th century poetic and wider literary traditions".
