Ivan Wernisch
Encyclopedia
Ivan Wernisch is a Czech poet
, editor
and a collage
artist. He studied Ceramics Secondary school in Carlsbad
(he left in 1959) and has since done many jobs, mostly manual. In 1961, after publishing his debut poetry
book
, he quickly established himself as one of the best and most loved writers of his generation. During the 70s and 80s he prepared many radio
shows about famous poets of the world (in which he often - true to his interest in mystifications - wrote many of the poems himself), but his books could not be published officially. After the Velvet revolution
he worked in a newspaper. Now he works as an editor in the Current Czech Poetry Library. He is also a renowned translator from German
, Dutch
, Italian
, Latin
, French
and Russian
. His work as an editor
is focused mainly on forgotten Czech poets of the last three centuries. Another Czech poet, Ewald Murrer, is his son. Ivan Wernisch lives in Prague
.
.
His books were published in translations in Germany
, Italy
, Ukraine
, Poland
and USA. He was awarded the Seifert Prize and Premio Capri.
Poetry
Editor of (among other books)
For children
Books published abroad
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
and a collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
artist. He studied Ceramics Secondary school in Carlsbad
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
(he left in 1959) and has since done many jobs, mostly manual. In 1961, after publishing his debut poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
, he quickly established himself as one of the best and most loved writers of his generation. During the 70s and 80s he prepared many radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
shows about famous poets of the world (in which he often - true to his interest in mystifications - wrote many of the poems himself), but his books could not be published officially. After the Velvet revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
he worked in a newspaper. Now he works as an editor in the Current Czech Poetry Library. He is also a renowned translator from German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. His work as an editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
is focused mainly on forgotten Czech poets of the last three centuries. Another Czech poet, Ewald Murrer, is his son. Ivan Wernisch lives in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Works
After his first couple of books which were rather playful his poetry began to turn into more dreamy and also absurd one. His poems, full of great imagery based on neologisms, absurd landscapes and mis-quoting other writers, become increasingly sad, if not tragic, with each new book since 1989. His influences include both dadaism and expressionismExpressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
.
His books were published in translations in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and USA. He was awarded the Seifert Prize and Premio Capri.
Poetry
- Kam letí nebe (1961)
- Těšení (1963)
- Zimohrádek (1965)
- Dutý břeh (1967)
- Loutky (1970)
- Zasuté zahrady (výbor z ineditních sbírek) (1984), LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- Žil, nebyl (výbor z let 1970-84) (1988), MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
- Včerejší den (výbor z let 1965-1989) (1989)
- Frc (překlady, překrady) (1991)
- Ó kdežpak (1991)
- Doupě latinářů (1992)
- Zlatomodrý konec stařičkého léta (1994)
- Pekařova noční nůše (1994)
- Jen tak (1996)
- Proslýchá se (1996)
- Cesta do Ašchabadu neboli Pumpke a dalajlámové (1997)
- Z letošního konce světa (heteronymHeteronym (literature)The literary concept of heteronym, invented by Portuguese writer and poet Fernando Pessoa, refers to one or more imaginary character created by a writer to write in different styles...
Václav Rozehnal) (2000) - Cesta do Ašchabadu neboli Pumpke a dalajlámové (2000)
- Lásku já nestojím (2001)
- Bez kufru se tak pěkně skáče po stromech neboli Nún (2001)
- Půjdeme do Mů (2002)
- Blbecká poezie (2002)
- Růžovejch květů sladká vůně (Virtuos na prdel) (2003)
- Hlava na stole (2005)
- Býkárna (with Michal ŠandaMichal ŠandaMichal Šanda is Czech writer and poet.- Life :After secondary school, he made his living in a series of jobs that included stonemasonry, bookselling, street vending, fowling and organ-grinding, as well as making fans on an ostrich farm and painting railway cars...
and Milan OhniskoMilan OhniskoMilan Ohnisko is a Czech poet and editor. After quitting two secondary schools before graduating either of them he worked in many manual professions. He also had his own publishing house and a bookshop...
) (2006) - Nikam (2010)
Editor of (among other books)
- Zapadlo slunce za dnem, který nebyl / Zapomenutí, opomíjení a opovrhovaní. Z jiné historie české literatury (léta 1850-1940) (2001)
- Píseň o nosu / Zapomenutí, opomíjení a opovrhovaní. Z jiné historie novočeské literatury (od počátků až do roku 1948) (2005)
- Quodlibet aneb jak se komu co líbí (2008)
- Kdo to čte, je prase (2008)
For children
- Střelnice (1987)
Books published abroad
- Au jour d'hier, translated by P. OuředníkPatrik OuředníkPatrik Ouředník is a Czech author and translator, living in France....
, 1990, France - Es beginnt der gestrige Tag: Gedichte, 1990, Germany
- Cmentarz objazdowy, translated by L. EngelkingLeszek EngelkingLeszek Engelking - Polish poet, short-story writer, critic, essayist, scholar, and translator....
, 1991, Poland - Ausgewühlte Schriften, translated by P. UrbanPeter UrbanPeter Urban is a German musician and radio host.Since the 1997 Contest, Urban following Jan Hofer has been the German commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest. Due to illness in 2009, Urban was unable to commentate on the 2009 Contest, with Tim Frühling filling in, however returning to...
, 1994, Germany - Pchli teatrzyk, translated by L. EngelkingLeszek EngelkingLeszek Engelking - Polish poet, short-story writer, critic, essayist, scholar, and translator....
, Poland, vol. I, 2003, vol. II, 2007 - Corre voce ovvero la morte ci attendeva altrove, 2005, Italy
- In the Puppet Gardens: Selected Poems, 1963-2005, 2007, USA