Dorian Haarhoff

(South Africa, 1944)

Biography

Dorian Haarhoff, a South African/Namibian poet, facilitates creative writing and story-telling wordshops, and acts as a one-on-one writing mentor. In a past life, a professor of English literature in Namibia, Dorian now tinkers his trade in the street markets of the world. Mythology, creation spirituality, whole brain theory, the new ohysics, narrative therapy, Ubuntu, Eco and Jungian psychology, and the poetic tradition influence his writing and work.

Passionate about developing innate creativity and imagination, he believes in the power of poetry to create new realities. He has been a participating poet at Poetry Africa, SA, and at the International Poetry Festival in Colombia, South America.

Bibliography

Poetry
Wrist and rib. Self-published, Cape Town, 1978
Stickman. Self-published, Windhoek, 1981
Bordering. Justified Press, Johannesburg, 1991
Aquifers and dust. Justified Press, Johannesburg, 1994
Tortoise voices. Mercer, Cape Town, 2002
Drawing water. Leopard Press, Durban, 2007
Poemegranites. Leopard Press, Durban, 2012
Editing of poetry. Student writing
The writers eye: Namibian poetry in process. Ed. Dorian Haarhoff. Basler Afrika Bibliographien, 1997

Drama scripts
Goats, oranges and skeletons. Ed. T. Zeeman. Gamsberg Macmillan, Windhoek, 2002
The missing Namibian, SAMP – (Swedish African Museum Project). Unpublished. Performed in Sweden and Namibia, 1996

Children’s Stories/Drama
Desert December. Songololo, Cape Town, 1991; Clarion, New York, 1992; Pan Macmillan, U.K., 1993
Water from the rock. New Namibia Books, Windhoek, 1992
Legs, bones and eyes. New Namibia Books, Windhoek 1994; Puffin, 1996
Guano girl. Justified Press, Johannesburg, 1994
Space racer. Graded reader. Kagiso, Cape Town, 1996
Grandfather Enoch’s pipe. Graded reader. Gamsberg Macmillan, Windhoek, 2002
The Water diviner. Short-listed, top 3, African Baobab Competition, 2011
Alice in Welwitschialand. Environmental play. Unpublished. Performed at the National Theatre Namibia and Grahamstown Festival, 1992, 1993, 1994.
The colour of water. Children’s radio drama serial. Namibian BC, 1993.

Teaching text
The writer’s voice: A workbook for writers in Africa. Zebra Press, Johannesburg, 1998

Links
Dorian Haarhoff’s page on Badilisha Poetry X-change
Personal website
Profile and poem ‘Feather prayer’ for Festival Internacional de Poesía de Medellín

Poems

DRY PROPHECY OLD WOMAN BREWING NAMIBIA

Poems

Poems of Dorian Haarhoff

Partners

LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère

Dorian Haarhoff

Dorian Haarhoff

Poems

DRY PROPHECY

OLD WOMAN BREWING

NAMIBIA

Sponsors

Partners