Dean Cothill

Four books · Launching September 2026

Words for the life you are actually living.

Poems, prayers and questions from Dean Cothill — a South African writer in Gqeberha. Four small companions for grief, transition, and the slow work of becoming whole.

My story

Why four books, all at once?

I did not plan to write four books. I wrote my way through seasons I could not talk my way through — small notes late at night after the children had fallen asleep, gates I did not feel ready to cross, the slow work of coming back to the person beneath the names. The pages sorted themselves into four small companions. Each one holds a different door into the same house.

These are not books to race through. They are books to sit with — a page in the early morning, a poem before sleep, a question carried into an ordinary Tuesday. My hope is simple: that somewhere in them you find words you did not know you were allowed to say out loud.

The first print run of these books was made possible by readers who gave through a BackaBuddy campaign. If you were one of them — thank you. These books exist because of you.

More about me →

Common questions

Who is Dean Cothill?

Dean Cothill is a South African writer, father and former minister living in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). He writes at the intersection of faith, grief, masculinity, transition and the sacred ordinary — the places where theology meets real life and real life complicates theology.

What books has Dean Cothill written?

Four titles release together in September 2026: Poems & Prayers; Between Arrivals and Departures; SOUL: A Small Book of Returning; and The Five Questions. All four are published by Urban Publishing in A5 paperback.

Which of the four books should I start with?

Start with the sentence that sounds most like you. If prayer has gone quiet, start with Poems & Prayers. If you are between two lives, start with Between Arrivals and Departures. If you feel unknown to yourself beneath your roles, start with SOUL. If you are a man who looks fine and feels like he is disappearing, start with The Five Questions.

When and where can I buy the books?

September 2026, in paperback and on Kindle. Print copies will be available directly from this site and through South African retailers, with ebooks available internationally. Join Letters from the Quiet below and you will hear the day they go on sale.

How were the books funded?

The first print run was crowdfunded by readers through a BackaBuddy campaign, which reached 100% of its target. These books exist because of the people who gave.

The email list

Letters from the Quiet

An occasional letter — a poem, a prayer, an honest essay. No noise, no spam, unsubscribe any time. Sign up and choose your welcome gift.

Your first letter arrives with your chosen gift. Launching alongside the books in September 2026.