Nachoem M. Wijnberg (b. 1961) has been writing at demonic speed for twenty years now, publishing fourteen books of poetry and four novels. His collections have won practically every poetry prize that the Netherlands can boast, and made him one of the most important Dutch poets of the present day. He’s also a Professor at the University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics and Econometrics.
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One ought to be able to say of a poem: it begins well, but by line seven it becomes a false claim – according to Nachoem M. Wijnberg, one of the Netherlands’ preeminent living poets. He also once said that a child of twelve could understand his poems. Correspondingly, in his phrasing, he seeks clarity and validity. Perhaps this evokes ideas of simplicity and straightforwardness, but that is not the case: opinions are seldom as diverse as those concerning this oeuvre. The vast majority of poetry lovers agree that Wijnberg writes brilliant, powerful poems, but what are they actually about?
