Tomas Lieske


Country: Netherlands
Language: Dutch
Year of birth: 1943

Tomas Lieske published many stories and novels before the appearance of his first collection of poetry, De ijsgeneraals, in 1987. In 2007, he won the chief prize in the Dutch poetry world, the VSB prize, for his collection Hoe je geliefde te herkennen (How to Recognise Your Lover). His core business is style, and magic, myth and the indescribable have always played a principal role in this. At the same time, his poems tend towards prose, at least visually: they are often long-lined and expansive and have something of the symphonic about them. Lieske is no realist; he’s more a fantastical realist interested in the ultimate mystery; reading his poems is like embarking on a risky adventure. With his simultaneously baroque and mysterious tone he represents a totally unique voice in Dutch poetry.

Read poems by Tomas Lieske on Poetry International Web.

Tues 15 June, 21.30 hrs, main auditorium