Regina Derieva

Who was Regina Derieva?

Regina Derieva was a Russian poet and writer who published around thirty books of poetry, essays, and prose. From July 1999 until her death she lived in Sweden.

Derieva's work has been translated into several languages, including English, French, Swedish, Arabic, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Greek, and other languages. A compact disc with her readings in Russian of selected poems was issued in 1999. Derieva's work has appeared in the Poetry magazine, Evergreen Review, Modern Poetry in Translation, Poetry East, The Liberal, Ars Interpres, Salt Magazine, Quadrant, Notre Dame Review as well as in many Russian magazines.

She translated poetry by Thomas Merton and contemporary American, Australian, British, Polish, and Swedish poets. Regina Derieva participated in a number of Swedish and international poetry festivals. In 2003, she received the Shannon Fellowship of the International Thomas Merton Society. In 2009, the Catholic Church of Sweden awarded her the ORA ET LABORA medal for her literary work to benefit the Church.

Derieva's poetry is strongly affected by her Catholic faith. In 1996, a significant Italian composer and organist, Fra Armando Pierucci, composed a cantata for the series of Regina Derieva's poems. This cantata is titled Via Crucis.