Charles Bernstein
Muenster International Poetry Prize ceremony and readings
The 2015 Prize of the City of Münster for International Poetry, the leading translation prize in Germany, was awarded to two new translations of my work: Gedichte und Übersetzen, tr. Versatorium and Peter Waterhouse (Vienna: Edition Korrespondenzen) and Angriff der Schwierigen Gedichte tr. Tobias Amslinger , Norbert Lange, Léonce W. Lupette and Mathias Traxler (based on All the Whiskey in Heaven, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010) (Wiesbaden, Germany: Lux Books). The Verstoarium collaborators included Judith Aistleitner, Katharine Apostle, Gabriella Attems, Aida Besirevic, Julia Dengg, Helmut Ege, Monique Ehmann, Nino Idoidze, Katharina Lehner, Astrid Nischkauer, Natalie Neumaier, Mirjam Paninski, Marlies Peter, Miriam Rainer, Julia Rosenkranz, Anja Sander, Katharina Schindl, Dimitri Smirnov, Nina-Victoria Truskawetz, Franz Vala, Jennifer Weiss, Katharina Widholm, Anna Zalesko, plus Waterhouse and me.
Since 1993, the city of Münster has awarded the poetry prize for a book of poetry and its translation. Prizewinners 2013 were the Caribbean Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott and his German translator Werner von Koppenfels.
Münster Mayor Marcus Lewe with me at May 10 prize ceremony in Erbdrostenhof palace.
Photo © Petra Noppeney, Muenstersche-Zeitung
Waterhouse, Bernstein, Lange at reading on May 9. Photo © Robert Golinski.
The ceremony and reading took place on May 9 and 10 in Münster. On Saturday night, May 9, the 18 collaborators from Vienna and Germany joined me for a reading as the final event of the Lyrikfestival (featured picture). On Sunday the signing ceremony took place in treaty room of the Rathaus, the place where in 1648 the treaty of Westphalia was signed. We then went on for a reading and concert Erbdrostenhof palace. Münster mayor Markus Lewe presided at both events. After Münster, the Lux group went on to read in Essen, Dresden, and Berlin. Audio and video recordings of these readings are available from PennSouund.
Phot0 ©Thomas Mohn
Photo © Robert Golinsky
photo © Thomas Mohn
© Thomas Mohn (& below)
On May 9, there was a Versatorium workshop on Rosmarie Waldrop:
Photo © Robert Golinski.
Deadalus Verlag also published a book for the prize, with a wild array of translations/transcreations:
link
Münstersche Zeitung
Munster Prize web site
pdf of Munster poetry festival 2015 and prize ceremony (excerpts)
From.Westfälische Nachrichten, May 10, 2015
Poesiepreis-Träger Charles Bernstein aus Philadelphia an der Ostküste Amerikas spuckt furios Geräusche, Buchstaben, Worte und Slogans aus, wie ein frisch erwachter Vulkan. Selbstironie inklusive: „In Münster bin ich ein protestantischer Dichter.“ Mundfaul reagiert er allerdings auf Fragen. Vier Übersetzer und das Übersetzerkollektiv „Versatorium“ präsentieren mit ihm lieber seine Übersetzungen in einer Performance. Ein schmaler Grad zwischen Kunst und Gaga-Ulk.
Einige irritierte Zuschauer gehen – mit Kommentaren wie „Alles Anarchisten“ und „Zu amerikanisch“. Doch das ist ja die besondere Komik – das reine Übersetzen ad absurdum zu führen. „Allein Shakespeares Sonett 66 hat 150 Übersetzungen“, merkt Co-Moderatorin Alida Bremer an. Beide Abende zeigen, wie gut Lyrik in ihrer Vielsprachigkeit sein kann – wenn nur Grenzen aufgebrochen werden zwischen Nationalsprachen, Inhalt und Form.
(Poetry Prize winner Charles Bernstein spits furious sounds, letters, words and slogans, like a newly awakened volcano. And there is self-irony too: "In Münster I am a Protestant poet." Thoughtful, he responds to questions. Four translators and the translators' collective Versatorium present with him, making his translations a performance. A fine line between art and a grand joke.Some irritated viewers walk out, with comments such as "All anarchists" and “Too American". But that's the special comedy, to lead to the pure absurdity of translation. "Only Shakespeare's Sonnet 66 has 150 translations," notes co-presenter Alida Bremer.)
