Poet
Peter van Lier
Peter van Lier
(The Netherlands, 1960)
© Poetry International
Biography
Peter van Lier is a strange poet. His work consists of meticulous observations of human actions. In doing so, he seems to strive for neutrality and objectivity – a venture that never quite succeeds. And this is exactly what makes his subdued precision so fascinating. Precarious, small incidents are held there in his words. Measured observations. Stems of grass. Prams. Insects. The quest for the unsulliedness of things, humans, has something helpless, something poignant about it. It appears to be naive – but the reader knows better.
Peter van Lier made his debut with Miniem gebaar (Slight gesture). This had been preceded by his study Van absurdisme tot mystiek (From absurdism to mysticism): a metaphysics from Nietzsche and Beckett to Heidegger. His most recent collection is called Zes wenken voor muggen aan de deur (Six hints for mosquitoes at the door). His book Links, rechts (Left, right) describes two walks and is written in a hybrid form of prose and poetry. If the reader is prepared to creep into the skin and garb of the walker, every detail there speaks volumes.
© Erik Lindner (Translated by John Irons)
Bibliography Af(breken) op(ruimen) in(pakken), Wereldbibliotheek, Amsterdam, 2020
Geachte afwezigen, Het verweer van de poëzie (essays), Poëziecentrum, Gent, 2017
Laaglandse remedies, Wereldbibliotheek, Amsterdam, 2016
De voedselbank. Columns over de rol van kunst in crisistijd, NOK, Beetsterzwaag, 2015
Wisseling van de wacht (met Machteld van Buren), Slibreeks 134, Stichting CBK Zeeland, Middelburg, 2011
Bodemsanering (met Machteld van Buren), Druksel, Gent, 2008
Zes wenken voor muggen aan de deur, Van Oorschot, Amsterdam 2007.
Gaandeweg rustieker, Van Oorschot, Amsterdam 2004.
Links, rechts. Twee wandelingen (Poetic prose), Van Oorschot, Amsterdam 2001.
Gegroet o…, Meulenhoff, Amsterdam 1998.
Miniem gebaar, Meulenhoff, Amsterdam 1995.
Van absurdisme tot mystiek (Essay), Damon, Best 1994.
Published translations
In: Poésie néerlandaise d'aujourd'hui (French, Morocco), translated by Jan H. Mysjkin and Pierre Gallissaires. In: Electron libre: revue de poésie, number 2, 2005.
In: Le verre est un liquide lent: 33 poètes néerlandais (French, anthology), translated by Kim Andringa et al. Farrago, 2003.
In: Poètes néerlandais, aujourd'hui (French), translated by Jan H. Mysjkin and Pierre Gallissaires. In: Action Poétique, number 156, 1999.
In: The low countries 5 (English), translated by Deborah ffoulkes et al. Ons Erfdeel, 1997.
Links
In Dutch
Website
Van Lier’s own website
Interview
Van Lier interviewed by Dutch critic Remco Ekkers.
Van Oorschot
Van Lier’s publisher
Wereldbibliotheek
Current publisher
Poems
Poems of Peter van Lier
Sponsors
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère