About
Catriona Dejean
When Eastbourne-based author Catriona Dejean joined the Write My Book course, she never imagined she would go on to publish not one, but two books. Her latest work, Unfolding, is a deeply personal collection of poetry that emerged from one of the most challenging years of her life — a year marked by multiple bereavements, a career shift, and a life-changing health diagnosis.
Speaking recently on the PublishU Podcast, Catriona shared the story behind her poetry, describing Unfolding as both a journey through pain and an unexpected discovery of joy.
Catriona’s first book, Leading Edge, focused on leadership and personal development. At the time, she thought her writing journey might end there.
“I never thought I would even write one book,” she explained. “So to have written a second one, and a poetry book at that, feels quite amazing.”
Unlike her debut, Unfolding is grounded in raw personal experience. It captures her reflections during a year of upheaval, when poetry became an outlet for emotions too complex to contain in everyday speech.
Poetry wasn’t part of the plan. “I hadn’t really written poetry since school,” Catriona admitted, recalling her A-level English days. But when her health diagnosis arrived, it triggered months of reflection. Eventually, those thoughts began to take shape as verse.
“It wasn’t until towards the end of that journey that I started writing,” she said. “I think it was months of processing that finally found their way onto the page.”
What began tentatively soon became essential. “I felt inspired — not in a whimsical sense, but in a pressing way — to capture what I was going through.”
The title of the book was born from a conversation with a friend shortly after she received her diagnosis.
“She told me, ‘This will be a period of unfolding,’ and at the time, I didn’t know what that meant,” Catriona recalled. “But it’s stayed with me. I had to learn to sit with grief. To sit with joy. To be patient. And to live differently.”
For her, unfolding became the perfect metaphor: an emotional unwrapping, layer by layer, of both pain and possibility. “Every day brought a different emotion — some familiar, some new — and I had to learn to respond to them all.”
The diagnosis itself was a moment of shock. “I remember thinking, ‘Are you sure?’” she said. But there was also a strange sense of relief, knowing at last why she had been feeling unwell.
In the months that followed, poetry became both mirror and balm. “Writing helped me express the sadness and grief — but it also helped me find hope,” she explained. “Each poem was a step toward healing.”
One of her most meaningful pieces, My Name is Joy, encourages readers to notice the small delights in daily life. “Don’t wait for Christmas or a big holiday,” she says. “There are sprinkles of joy in every day.” That phrase, borrowed from a friend years earlier, now threads its way through her work.
Publishing something so vulnerable was not an easy decision.
“Oh yes, I hesitated,” Catriona admitted. “These poems are deeply personal. I wondered if they were just for me.”
But after sharing a few drafts with trusted friends and receiving heartfelt encouragement, she realised her poetry had the power to resonate with others. “I hope there’s wisdom in them for anyone navigating uncertainty — whether through illness, grief, or change.”
By choosing to publish, Catriona embraced vulnerability as part of her purpose. “Other people’s stories helped me,” she said. “If mine can do the same, it’s worth it.”
The closing poem of the collection, Beauty From Ashes, captures the book’s spirit of renewal. With imagery of birds in flight, pottery repaired with gold, and flowers blooming again, it offers a message of resilience.
“When you choose to believe, renewal is within reach,” she reads. “Beauty from ashes arise stronger, dear friend.”
It’s a hope-filled conclusion to a collection that begins in grief but blossoms into strength.
For now, there are no immediate plans for a third book — though she quickly adds, “never say never.” Her focus remains on sharing Unfolding with readers while revisiting Leading Edge, which was published just months before her diagnosis.
Whatever comes next, one thing is clear: Catriona has found her voice as an author. Whether she is writing about leadership or loss, her words carry honesty, wisdom, and compassion that connect deeply with readers.
Unfolding is more than a poetry collection. It is a testament to the healing power of writing, the resilience of the human spirit, and the beauty of finding joy even in the midst of hardship.
Catriona Dejean’s journey reminds us that creativity often emerges from the most difficult seasons. By turning personal pain into poetry, she has given readers not only a glimpse into her own unfolding but also encouragement for their own.
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