Each year since 2007, after the inaugural December lecture series in 2005, The Poetry Society has commissioned an annual lecture, given by a prestigious poet on an aspect of contemporary poetry. Often with the aim of bringing lesser-heard voices to the UK, past lecturers have included Anne Carson, Les Murray and Charles Simic.
This year I am delighted to say that German poet Jan Wagner will deliver the lecture in Oxford on Monday 20th February (sixth week) at 19.00. There will be an opportunity for a session with students earier in the day.
A literary critic and translator, he is the author of the poetry collections Probebohrung im Himmel (2001); Guerickes Sperling (2004); Achtzehn Pasteten (2007)—“eighteen pies” in translation, which takes its title from Samuel Pepys; Australien (2010); Regentonnenvariationen (2014) which won the Leipzig Book Prize in 2015 and most recently Selbstporträt mit Bienenschwarm. Ausgewählte Gedichte 2001–2015.
The Collection Self-Portrait with a Swarm of Bees (Arc 2015) translated by Iain Galbraith won the Popescu prize of the Poestry Society in 2015.