Praise of the Typhoon

Travel Diaries in Haikus and Other Works by Durs Grünbein

Reading by the author

»Seventeen vocal clicks –. That’s a poem in Japanese. Then gone, barely heard.« / Durs Grünbein

with

The poet Durs Grünbein made four journeys to Japan, as an observant witness of Far Eastern culture and lifestyles and an active diarist. Impressed and fascinated by the country’s rich poetic tradition which he freely admits he only knew in translation, he composed his travel notes in abbreviated form – as haikus. These shortest of poems – 17 syllables long in three lines written in 5–7–5 beats – were first translated into European languages in the early 20^th century and have since become very popular in the West. Many poets including Rainer Maria Rilke, were inspired to try out this literary form themselves – and haikus continue to be written in German today.

Durs Grünbein will talk in conversation about how he came to this special form of poetry and about the challenge of finding an individual language.

Grünbein’s haikus and other poems from his rich oeuvre will take on an individual voice when read together. In the meeting – not a mixture – of Western and Eastern sounds a third one may appear which describes the nature of poetry itself: »We planetarians are one brain.« (Grünbein)

Durs Grünbein will be available to sign his books after the reading.

The Turbine Hall has no heating. We recommend appropriate clothing for this industrial heritage site.