About Derek
Derek Farrell has, since childhood, told stories.
Of course, back then they were called lies, and usually got him in to trouble, but nowadays his stories, humorous poetry and song lyrics are entertaining people from Kansas to Crawley.
Derek grew up in a small terrace close to the Guinness brewery in Dublin’s Liberties neighbourhood, where the smell of roasting hops alternated with the yeasty fermentation of the mash, and the cry of the seagulls was interrupted occasionally by the snorting of an escaped cow on the rampage from the abattoir at the bottom of the street.
To date, Derek has completed three novels. His latest novel is a contemporary Cosy-Noir mystery story called Death of a Diva. The book features his wonderfully human detective Danny Bird, and it’s been described as “Like The Thin Man meets Will & Grace via Ab Fab. In Bermondsey.”
Derek’s literary heroes include Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse, Lawrence Block, Joe Keenan, Steven Saylor, Scott Fitzgerald, Jonathan Harvey, Doctor Seuss and anyone who actually drags their arse to the desk and writes, Goddammit!
His jobs have included: Burger dresser, Bank teller, David Bowie's paperboy, and eventually Investment Banker on the 80th floor of the World Trade Centre. Time in high finance, has given him an opportunity to observe people, to understand the persuasive power of language and to develop an insight into the workings of the criminal mind, whilst allowing him to live and work in Hong Kong, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Prague and London.
And all the time, he’s been telling stories.
You should get to know him.
Twitter: @derekifarrell
Here are my most recent posts
by Derek | May 5, 2020 | Memories, Reading, Reviews, The Isolation Diaries, Writers Life
At Noir At The Bar Newcastle 2019 With Simon Bewick, Gytha Lodge, Vic Watson, Jacky Grámosi Collins, Neil Broadfoot, Nic Parker, Mik Brown, Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Sólveig Pálsdóttir, Jónína Leósdóttir Zoe Sharp and Judith O’ReillytagTag Well here we are again....
by Derek | Apr 27, 2020 | The Isolation Diaries, Uncategorized, Writers Life
Well here we are.Week seven. Or is it six? Or – wait – is it week ninety-eight?Who knows any more.Time is becoming elastic. For about six weeks now I’ve been getting up, showering, grabbing coffee and some fruit, and heading straight to my desk. By Wednesday of this...
by Derek | Apr 19, 2020 | Movies, Reviews, The Isolation Diaries, Uncategorized, Writers Life, Writing
Hey there. Hope you’re finding some peace, and that you and your loved ones are well. I’m okay. Better than okay, actually. At the risk of coming over like a certain Messiah-like author who constantly translates his own pain and experiences into universal truths, I...
by Derek | Apr 13, 2020 | The Isolation Diaries, Writers Life, Writing
Well this is unbelievably weird, isn’t it? I nearly titled this piece “Seasons greetings from The Masque of The Red Death,” but was worried about whether my humour would be misconstrued. By the time you read this I will be starting my fifth week of lockdown. And it’s...
by Derek | Mar 25, 2020 | Memories, Music
I don’t have many photos of Debbie. That’s cos she filled my world in a period before we captured every single moment of our lives via smartphones; and that fact – that timing – breaks my fucking heart. I’d love a billion pointless duplications of Debbie on dropbox,...