David William Parry

David William Parry
Born
David William Parry

1958 (age 67–68)
Portsmouth
OccupationAuthor
NationalityBritish
Website
www.davidwilliamparry.com

David William Parry is a British author.

Life

David William Parry was born in Portsmouth in 1958.[1] He was raised in Fareham by his Anglican mother and Roman Catholic stepfather.[1][2]

He graduated from King's College, London, with an undergraduate degree in Religious Studies; from Heythrop College, with a graduate degree in Pastoral Studies; and from the University of South Wales, with a PhD in English.[1][2] His doctoral thesis, "Cultivating Presence: A Conceptual Autoethnography Examining Neofolk and Its Relation to Contemporary Miracle and Mystery Traditions," was published in 2025.[3][4][5]

Career

Writing

Parry's first book, Caliban's Redemption (2004), is a collection of occult poems.[6] Writing in The London Magazine, Richard Rudgley described Parry's poetry as "homoerotic mysticism".[7]

His second, The Grammar of Witchcraft (2009), combines poetry and prose.[8] An adaptation of the poetry was staged at Etcetera Theatre in Camden in 2022.[9] John Cutler of The Reviews Hub called it "the theatrical equivalent of pâté de foie gras: dense (rich even), provocative in its ingredients, not to everyone’s taste, and probably best enjoyed only occasionally".[10]

Parry's fourth book and first play, Women in Mayhem, was also staged at the Etcetera Theatre in August 2024.[11][12]

Religion

Parry has served as a worship leader, prison visitor and Bible Study teacher in the Metropolitan Community Church in Balham; as a lay minister in "a number of British Unitarian churches"; and as the caretaking pastor of the Coverdale and Ebenezer Congregational Church in Shadwell.[2]

In 2013, Indymedia reported that Parry had been "initiated … as a Priest of Nerthus" by Freya Aswynn.[13]

Parry is presently active in the Old Catholic Apostolic Church.[14][15] As of 2021, he led the St. Valentine's Hall congregation in South London.[14][16] In August 2021, BBC London News described Parry's church "as a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community".[17] In this role he appeared as a contestant on Jimmy Carr's I Literally Just Told You in 2022.[18]

Other activities

From 2014 to 2021, Parry co-hosted a weekly podcast show called THA Talks with Paul Obertelli, intended to encourage "Free Thoughts and Open Minds".[19] According to Hope not Hate, Parry co-founded the Extremists Club with Jez Turner.[20] In 2017, The Independent reported that in an infiltration of the “alt-right” in the UK, Patrik Hermansson of Hope not Hate was introduced to The Extremists Club.[21]

In 2013, Parry was interviewed by The Guardian about the UK Border Agency's treatment of a Russian-born poet, Alex Galper (who had studied under Allen Ginsberg).[22] Parry was Chairman of Eurasian Creative Guild (ECG).[23]

In 2019, Parry spoke at TEDxLambeth alongside Haralampi G. Oroschakoff, in a talk entitled "A Chat on Conceptual Arts".[24] In 2021, he addressed TEDxLambeth on "Pop Art through the Eyes af a Queer Pastor" and "Conversations, Definitions and Stories."[25][26]

He is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, the Royal Anthropological Institute and the Royal Society of Arts.[27][2][1]

Works

  • Caliban's Redemption. 1st ed. Oxford: Mandrake of Oxford, 2004.[28] 2nd ed. Finatran, 2011.[29]
  • The Grammar of Witchcraft. 1st ed. Oxford: Mandrake, 2009.[8] 2nd ed. London: Hertfordshire Press, 2016.[30]
  • Mount Athos Inside Me: Essays on Religion, Swedenborg and Arts. Melbourne, Aus.: Manticore, 2019.[31]
  • Women in Mayhem: Or Three Nonsensical Pranks. Melbourne, Aus.: Indigo Dragon, 2024.[11]
  • Cultivating Presence: A Conceptual Autoethnography Examining Neofolk and Its Relation to Contemporary Miracle and Mystery Traditions. Melbourne, Aus.: Manticore, 2025.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "David William Parry," societyofauthors.org. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d Irandoost, Daniele-Hadi. "Rev. David William Parry". LGBTQ Religious Archives Network. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Cultivating Presence: A Conceptual Autoethnography Examining Neofolk and Its Relation to Contemporary Miracle and Mystery Traditions," doctoral thesis, University of South Wales (July 2025).
  4. ^ David William Parry, Cultivating Presence: A Conceptual Autoethnography Examining Neofolk and Its Relation to Contemporary Miracle and Mystery Traditions, doctoral thesis, University of South Wales (July 2025). Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  5. ^ "SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT: Cultivating Presence by Rev David William Parry," booksblog.co.uk (15 November 2025). Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  6. ^ Parry, David (2004). Caliban's Redemption. Oxford: Mandrake of Oxford. ISBN 186992875X.
  7. ^ Rudgley, Richard (January 2005). Wine, Smoke, and Flesh. The London Magazine. p. 101. ISSN 0024-6085.
  8. ^ a b "The Grammar of Witchcraft" (1st ed.), Google Books. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  9. ^ Baskakova, Margarita (14 December 2022). "The Grammar of Witchcraft: transgressive production with a smile on the lips". Kommersant.
  10. ^ Cutler, John (23 November 2022). "The Grammar Of Witchcraft – Etcetera Theatre, London". The Reviews Hub. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Women in Mayhem," Google Books. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  12. ^ Louise Penn, "Camden Fringe Preview: Women in Mayhem," loureviews.blog (24 July 2024). Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  13. ^ Circle Ansuz, "David Parry: Neo-Fascist!," Indymedia (3 April 2013). Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  14. ^ a b "Msgr David William Parry," liberalcatholics.uk. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  15. ^ Instrument of Incardination, 6 January 2023. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  16. ^ Gregory, Ruby (9 June 2021). "'Unless we find solutions, I dread to think what will happen': South London's only LGBTQ+ church risks closure in months". MyLondon. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  17. ^ Owen, Meghan (25 August 2021). "BBC London News, 13:30". BBC1 London. Learning on Screen. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  18. ^ Carr, Jimmy (host). "Jimmy Carr's I Literally Just Told You: Series 2 Episode 7". Channel 4. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  19. ^ "THA Talks - Alternative podcast talks & interviews". thatalks. Archived from the original on 2020-07-05. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  20. ^ Lawrence, David (2 June 2017). "Revealed: Tory politician links to extreme right". HOPE not hate. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  21. ^ Batchelor, Tom (20 September 2017). "Anti-fascist activist goes undercover with 'alt right' to expose movement's rapid European expansion". The Independent. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  22. ^ "Overseas artists boycott Britain in protest at visa clampdown". The Guardian. 2011-07-09. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
  23. ^ Dyussembekova, Zhazira (22 December 2016). "Young Kazakh Author Presents Book in London". Astana Times. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  24. ^ Parry, Rev. David; Oroschakoff, Haralampi G. (20 December 2019), A chit-chat on conceptual art, retrieved 13 June 2024
  25. ^ "Pop Art through the Eyes af a Queer Pastor," ted.com. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  26. ^ "Conversations, Definitions and Stories," ted.com. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  27. ^ "Find a Fellow: Rev. David William Parry". The RSA. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  28. ^ "Caliban's Redemption" (1st ed.), Google Books. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  29. ^ "Caliban's Redemption" (2nd ed.), Google Books. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  30. ^ "The Grammar of Witchcraft" (2nd ed.), Google Books. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
  31. ^ "Mount Athos Inside Me," Google Books. Ret'd 9 Jan. 2026.
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