Interview Special

Interview with James Dolan!

James Dolan is becoming a household name in the creative space in general; particularly poetry, as his recently released debut collection, "A rose in a mist" charted in multiple categories on the Amazon Bestsellers charts in prestigious categories like the United Kingdom Poetry Charts, The Motivational and Inspirational charts to mention but a few. 

James also recently joined the most prestigious writers club in the world, "The Collab Tour" as an official member and undoubtedly, his career is on an upward trajectory. 

Interview Excerpts below:

Background - I am a British Romanichal Romany Gypsy, born in the south of England and deeply proud of my heritage. I come from well-known Romani families who members have contributed to British cultural life across literature, sport, and oral tradition. My family’s story stretches back through centuries of migration, carrying the dust of old empires and the Silk Road in our traditions and spirit. 

I grew up in a nomadic era that was both beautiful and challenging. Education for Roma children in the 80s was limited, but my upbringing taught me resilience, resourcefulness, and a profound connection to the land. I often describe true Romany living as “The Beautiful Struggle,” a theme I am exploring in my forthcoming biography.

Throughout my adult life I’ve worked across many roles, including years in London, before settling in County Durham with my family. I now work in social care as a support worker — a role that continues to teach me compassion, patience, and the strength found in community.

How my poetry journey begun - My poetry journey began long before I ever wrote a line. It started in my childhood, outside the classroom and out on the land. My earliest lessons came from fields, orchards, beaches, and the quiet company of my own thoughts. That was where I first felt God, and where I learned to listen to the world with a poet’s ear.

I didn’t grow up with traditional education, but I grew up with experience — the kind that teaches resilience, observation, and a deep sense of spirit. In many ways, my poetry was lived before it was written.

I began writing at twentyfour, after finding faith and making a vow to honour God with my life and my words. For the next twentytwo years I wrote daily, trying to keep pace with the voice that had awakened in me. Much of what I saw and felt in those early visions will be shared more fully in the future, but that was the true beginning of my journey as a poet.

Writing process - My writing process today is much calmer than it was in my youth. Back then I tried to keep up with every thought as it arrived, as if the mind were dictating faster than the hand could move. Now I approach writing with more stillness and intention.

I usually begin with a cup of tea and some gentle music — classical, Celtic, or folky, depending on the mood or memory I’m trying to reach. That small ritual helps me settle into the space where the inner voice becomes clearer.

As a family man, I’ve learned to write in the middle of real life: children running around, conversations happening, the ordinary noise of home. I don’t need silence to create. Poetry doesn’t require a perfect environment; it only asks that we listen, wherever we are.

Connection with my poems - Every poem I write is personal. Even when I’m speaking to broader themes, the work always begins from lived experience and a deep sense of connection. I believe that writing carries energy, and I try to pour as much intention and love into each piece as I can — a process I think of as a kind of divine fusion between the inner life and the written word.

My current book was shaped over twenty years. Some of that time involved stepping back from the world so I could listen more closely to what needed to be written. It wasn’t isolation for its own sake, but a period of focus, discipline, and spiritual clarity. Those years taught me that poetry is not just something I create — it’s something I live, and something that continues to shape me in return.

Favourite Poets - My first great influence was Arthur Rimbaud. His fearless reinvention of language and emotion opened something in me, and poems like My Bohemia and Sensation made me feel seen as both a wanderer and a rebel. From there I fell in love with the classics — Browning, Blake, Rossetti, Byron, Wilde, and Whitman, writers whose sense of vision, music, and antiquity still shape my ear. Blake, especially, resonates with me for his spiritual insight and the way he wrote from a place of revelation.

I’m also deeply influenced by the Sufi poets — Rumi, Hafiz, Tagore, Kabir, and Khalil Gibran. Their work speaks directly to the mystic in me, blending devotion, longing, and the search for union with the divine.

Among contemporary voices, I admire Simon Armitage for his clarity, groundedness, and the way he captures the everyday with such precision. And although they were singers rather than page poets, the lyrical sensitivity of Nick Drake and the dramatic, existential depth of Scott Walker have both shaped my understanding of how emotion, atmosphere, and language can intertwine.

Together, these writers form the landscape I draw from: visionary, spiritual, classical, and rooted in both the earth and the unseen.

How I feel about my fanbase - I see it less as a fanbase and more as a growing community. The support I’ve received has been organic, heartfelt, and built on genuine connection. I’m grateful for every person who has found something of themselves in my work, whether they’re nearby or on the other side of the world.

What moves me most is the sense of shared humanity. When someone tells me a poem resonated with them, it reminds me why I write — to reach people, one heart at a time. I don’t take any of it for granted. Good people and good deeds stay with you, and I carry that encouragement with me as I continue to grow and share my work.

What surprises people - People are often surprised to learn how much of my life has been shaped by spiritual experience. From a young age I’ve had vivid dreams, intuitions, and moments of insight that felt far beyond my years. Those experiences guided me, challenged me, and ultimately shaped the way I see the world and the way I write.

I’ve always felt a strong connection to the unseen — to faith, to symbolism, to the idea that there is more to life than what we can touch. That sense of guidance has stayed with me throughout my journey and continues to influence my work today. It’s one of the reasons my writing carries a spiritual thread: it reflects the inner life that has accompanied me since childhood.

Hobbies - Outside of poetry, I love to read — something that came later in life, once I finally learned to put the pen down long enough to enjoy other people’s words. Cooking is another passion of mine. I’m a feeder by nature, and nothing makes me happier than preparing meals for my family or cooking alongside my brother, who is an excellent chef.

I also love long walks in nature, sometimes for hours at a time. Being out on the land clears my mind and reconnects me with the simplicity that first shaped me.

But above all, my greatest joy is spending time with my family. I work long hours in a demanding role, and everything I do is ultimately for them. They are my grounding force, my reward, and the heart behind everything I create.

Experience or imagination - My poems come from a mixture of lived experience and imagination. I’ve been fortunate to lead an interesting life, and much of what I write is shaped by what I’ve seen, felt, and learned along the way. At the same time, I’ve always had a strong inner world — a place where memory, intuition, and imagination meet.

This current book draws from all of that: my journey, my observations, and the way I interpret the world as a mystic and a storyteller. Some poems are rooted directly in experience, while others explore the emotional or spiritual truth behind those experiences. There is much more to come on this subject in future work, but for now, the answer is simple: my poetry lives in the space where reality and imagination meet.

Growing up - Growing up, my life was one long adventure. Independence came early, as it often does in Romany culture, and the environment around me encouraged resilience, curiosity, and a strong sense of self. My mother was a trailblazer — bold, freespirited, and unafraid to live life on her own terms. Sharing her journey shaped me more than any classroom ever could.

My family has always been supportive of my creative path. In my early years, my brother  encouraged me through long periods of writing and reflection, and my partner has been a constant source of strength, grounding, and belief. Whatever talent I have, they see it not as something grand or “worldclass,” but simply as an extension of who I am and what I’ve lived.

Their support keeps me humble. I write because it’s my calling, but I stand where I stand because of them.

Book’s Success - Seeing A Rose in a Mist, A Mist in a Rose find its way into the world has been incredibly moving. I put years of work, reflection, and heart into this book, so watching it reach readers and appear on Amazon’s charts has been both humbling and surreal. I’m grateful for every person who has taken a chance on it.

Much of the credit also belongs to Golden Dragonfly Press, who helped bring this book into being with such care and belief. Their support added a certain magic to the process, and I’m thankful for the way they championed the work.

I also want to acknowledge Krishna Rose, author of Woman in Red: Magdalene Speaks. Her early introduction to the press played a meaningful part in opening the door for this book to find its home. I remain deeply grateful for that kindness and support.

I see the book’s early success as a gentle beginning rather than a destination. My hope is simply that it continues to find the people who need it, and that it touches lives in the quiet, meaningful ways poetry can.

What it feels like to me - Literary success feels humbling to me. I came into this world with very little access to education, and for much of my childhood it was denied or delayed because of our lifestyle on the road and the apartheidstyle classes Roma children were placed in. So, to be published now, through a small press I respect, feels like I’ve taken the steps expected of me as a novice poet and honoured the journey that brought me here.

One of the turning points in my life came when I was sixteen. My English teacher, Miss Dewar, encouraged me to pursue creative writing after I submitted a piece on To Kill a Mockingbird, focusing on Calpurnia as a surrogate mother. It was the first time anyone had really seen me — and the first time I saw myself. That small moment of belief became the seed that grew into everything I’m doing now. I owe her a great deal.

So, success, for me, isn’t about charts or labels. It’s about gratitude. It’s about honouring where I came from, the people who helped me along the way, and the quiet victories that happen when someone from a background like mine finds their voice. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, but I carry it lightly. This is only the beginning.

Would I consider myself a person of faith - Yes, I consider myself a person of faith. My relationship with God is central to my life and my writing, and it’s something I hold with deep devotion. I don’t follow religion in the traditional sense — my faith is personal, lived, and shaped by my own experiences. I believe that everyone’s connection to the divine is unique, even if the fundamentals are shared: love, compassion, respect, and care for our fellow human beings, regardless of race or creed.

My book reflects that inner journey. It explores themes connected to the Grail, the lineage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, and the role my people have played in those stories. These ideas are part of my spiritual imagination and heritage, and they form the lens through which I understand the world. Faith, for me, is not a doctrine — it’s a relationship, a calling, and a way of seeing.

Friendship - Friendship, to me, begins with the heart. I often write that “the fair words of the heart are like the fair flowers of heaven,” and I try to honour that spirit in the way I treat others. I don’t see people in terms of labels or divisions — I see brothers and sisters, a wider kinship that goes beyond friendship in the ordinary sense.

True friendship should be respectful, attentive, and nurturing. It’s built on sincerity and the intention to uplift one another. When the heart is in its rightful place, open and compassionate, the whole world begins to feel like a friend. That’s the way I try to live seeing the humanity in everyone and meeting them with the same reverence I hope to receive.

Special friendships - I haven’t had a single defining creative mentor, but I’ve been helped in many indirect ways along the journey. Small acts of encouragement, thoughtful advice, and the belief of others have all played a part in my development. Sometimes it’s a conversation, sometimes a gesture, sometimes a piece of guidance offered at exactly the right moment. Those things stay with you.

What I’ve learned is that creative growth doesn’t always come from one great influence — it often comes from a community of people who offer support in quiet, meaningful ways. I’m grateful for everyone who has encouraged me, whether they realised the impact they were having or not. Their kindness helped shape the writer I’m becoming.

My thoughts on poetry and my message to creatives - I think poetry is experiencing a real revival. There are so many distinctive voices emerging today, each bringing their own style, message, and courage to the page. It’s becoming “cool” again in the best possible way — not as a trend, but as a growing collective voice in a world that desperately needs reflection, honesty, and hope.

Poets and artists have always been my heroes. They hold up a mirror to the times, and they remind us of what still matters. To any aspiring creative who looks to me for inspiration, I would say this: don’t give up. Work hard. Stay authentic. Surround yourself with good people who encourage your growth. Take your time and enjoy the process.

The world needs your voice. Art has always been a light in dark places, and I believe it still is. Love, creativity, and compassion have the power to change things — and every artist contributes to that in their own way.

My personality - I would describe myself as passionate and driven, someone who takes life and creativity seriously but always with the intention to help others rise. I feel things deeply, especially when it comes to justice and compassion, and although I’m mildmannered on the surface, there’s a great deal of fire in me. I channel that energy into my work, my discipline, and my desire to make a difference.

I’m highly motivated, I dream big, and I work hard to honour those dreams. But at the heart of it all, I’m someone who loves lifting others. Nothing gives me more purpose than seeing people grow, heal, or feel seen through art or kindness. If there’s one thread that runs through my personality, it’s that: a commitment to doing good, quietly and consistently, wherever I can.

My thought of the collab tour - It’s been a pleasure to be part of the tour and to share space with so many talented poets. I’ve really enjoyed the genuine engagement from readers and the sense of community that has formed around the project. Being invited to join the tour was an honour, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute my voice to something with such a strong reputation.

The experience has been positive and creatively energising, and I’m thankful for everyone involved who has shown support and kindness along the way.

What else am I passionate about - Beyond poetry, I’m deeply passionate about my family and the life we build together. They’re the heart behind everything I do. I’m also fully immersed in my next creative chapter — working on my biography, which is a very personal and demanding project. The rest of what I’m developing will be revealed in time, but I can say that I’m excited about the direction my work is taking.

I’m someone who thrives on purpose, growth, and creating work that feels meaningful. Whether it’s writing, exploring new ideas, or shaping future projects, I’m driven by the same intention: to honour my journey and offer something of value to others.

My parting words - To everyone who has supported me, shared my work, or found a piece of themselves in my words — thank you. Your kindness, your messages, and your belief have meant more than I can ever express. I see you, I appreciate you, and I carry your encouragement with me every day.

I come from a small place and a humble beginning, and to know that my writing has reached people across the world is something I never take for granted. You are the reason I keep going. You are the reason the book found its wings. And you are the reason I continue to write with honesty and heart.

My parting words are simple: stay true to yourselves, be gentle with your hearts, and never underestimate the power of your own story. If my work has touched you in any way, then I have already succeeded. I hope the journey continues, and I hope our paths keep crossing in meaningful ways.

Thank you for walking with me.

Henry. Friedel

Editor at large (Poets Digest)