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The atom poets in German
In the summer of 2011 a poetry collection dedicated to the so called atom poets will be published in Germany. The book will collect the poems of the five foremost modernist poets of Iceland appearing in the 1950‘s: Einar Bragi, Hannes Sigfússon, Jón Óskar, Sigfús Daðason and Hörður Grímsson.
Editors of the book are Eysteinn Þorvaldsson and Wolfgang Schiffer, head of radio drama of the WDR station in Germany. Schiffer, who is currently collecting material for the book in Iceland, has promoted Icelandic poetry in Germany for several years, mainly in the literary magazine Die horen where many Icelandic poets have been introduced to German readers.
Emphasis will be placed on the first modernist generation and the historical significance of it‘s poetry expounded. The book will be an unusual collage of poetry translations and discussions about the era; political debates and disputes concerning the poets and their art. The book will also include contributions from contemporary poets, such as Gyrðir Elíasson, Sjón, Einar Már Guðmundsson and Steinunn Sigurðardóttir, where they contemplate the legacy of the atom-poets.