Thomas Doerksen is a poet, philosopher, and scientist based in Victoria, British Columbia. He was born in Langley, BC, and grew up travelling between Canadian provinces, meeting new people and leaving behind friends on the Pacific coast and in the prairies. From an early age, Thomas has been obsessed with the sharp contrast between the artificiality of urban society and the startling and rare bluntness of the natural elements outside of it: torrential rain falling on Vancouver by the Rockies, pristine ice glistening in the Edmonton sun, bonfires seeming to touch the clouds of Saskatoon. Some of his poems that explore these themes have appeared in Holes: An Anthology of Poems about Depths, Darkness, an Desire (released by JLRB Press in 2024). Over time, the concepts of artifice and element have crystallized into a series of observations that found their way into Thomas’s debut poetry collection Through the Cities and the Woods, released by JLRB Press in 2025.

Thomas explores embodiment through dance and movement: He can be found on a bicycle commute; taking a cold dip in the Pacific Ocean; or on an urban nature walk, witnessing minks and raccoons weave through traffic and alleyways. Thomas enjoys street photography and making artworks in watercolour and pen. He has a strong interest in environmental and regulatory law.

Tom is working on another book of poems that seek to address the growing social despair and the non-human response. With his art, he hopes to reach young and curious minds who are searching for new ways to think about this world that seems to be rapidly crumbling around us.

He has a PhD in Theory and Criticism (Western), a Masters in philosophy (Guelph), and a Masters in synthetic organic chemistry (Victoria).