From a Diary of Non-events

Hamburger Michael

"From a Diary of Non-Events" captures a year in the life of Michael Hamburger, from December 2000 to November 2001, observing changes in the natural world alongside the preoccupations and ruminations of the poet in and around his home in a Suffolk village. Occasionally intruding upon these "non-events" are the larger concerns of the outside world. Hamburger's skill in synthesising the two strands results in a compelling narrative in which, as in all great sequences, the whole strikes us as more than the sum of its parts.

About the Author

Michael Hamburger (1924-2007) was a poet and critic of distinction as well as the outstanding translator of German poetry. His awards include the Schlegel-Tieck Prize (1981), the German Federal Republic's Goethe Medal (1986) and the EC's first European Translation Prize (1990) for "Poems of Paul Celan". Five collections of his poetry appeared since "Collected Poems 1941-1994". He also published several collections of essays, the critical study "The Truth of Poetry", and an autobiography "String of Beginnings". His translations include selections from Celan, Eich, Goethe, Hofmannsthal, Holderlin, Peter Huchel, Rilke and others.

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