Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer (born 17 January 1968) is a Dutch poet, novelist, polemicist and classical scholar. He was born in Rijswijk, Netherlands, and studied, lived and worked in Leiden, and he moved permanently to Genoa, Italy, in 2008.
Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer
Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer in 2016
Born
(1968-01-17) 17 January 1968 (age 56) Rijswijk, Netherlands
Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer was born on 17 January 1968 in Rijswijk in the Netherlands.
He made his début in 1998 with a collection entitled Of the Square Man, containing of fifty-odd highly individualistic poems. This debut won him the 1999 C. Buddingh’ poetry prize.
As well as a poet, Pfeijffer was for some time a Greek scholar on the staff of Leiden University. He wrote a dissertation on the poetry of Pindar and published a history of classical literature for the general reader. Regarding his own poetry he has outspoken views, not just in his oft-quoted programmatic opening poem "Farewell Dinner," in which he dismisses the hermetic Hans Faverey and calls for "butter-baked images / and bulimic verse". Pfeijffer's poetic polemics leave no room for doubt as to what kind of poetry he prefers. He feels akin to Lucebert, and he abhors the paper verse of introverted hermetics and meek-hearted dreamers ("stumble, stiff romantic, mumble on"). Poetry should have life, and preferably, in Lucebert’s words, "life in full".
Pfeijffer at the Nacht van de Poëzie 2015 (Dutch Poetry Night event).Pfeijffer signing his novel Grand Hotel Europa at Eindhoven (2019).Photo by Pfeiffer of the courtyard of Palazzo Doria Tursi, Via Garibaldi 9, Genoa (2016).The Hogewoerd address where Pfeijffer lived as a classics student in Leiden (2023).
Thus Pfeijffer, the "gleaner of contrivances," quotes not only Pindar and Ezra Pound, Horace and Lucebert, Sophocles, Derek Walcott, Herman Gorter, Hans Faverey, Martinus Nijhoff and Gerard Reve, but comic book characters as well. He not only writes about the political martyr Ken Saro Wiwa, but also about C&A sweaters and Fiat Croma, barcodes, canned beer, butt-tight and garamond ten-point italic. The poet neither lacks humor or self-mockery, nor seriousness for that matter, witness his hotly tender love poems: "and though I sang and gave over my loins / and you failed to scorch my senses / I should be useless white on white."
La Superba, (translated by Michele Hutchison, Dallas, TX, Deep Vellum Publishing, 2016)
External linksedit
Media related to Ilja Pfeijffer at Wikimedia Commons
Official website
"Ilja Pfeijffer, aka Ilja Pfeiffer, the most important poet from the Netherlands", satirical website
Quite comprehensive bibliography (same website as above)
Articlesedit
Article on I.L. Pfeijffer at the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (in Dutch)
Online poems (with translations)edit
"en wat het dan betekent"/"and what it means" 7 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
"Een Corinthische ode"/"A Corinthian ode"
January 01, 1970
ilja, leonard, pfeijffer, born, january, 1968, dutch, poet, novelist, polemicist, classical, scholar, born, rijswijk, netherlands, studied, lived, worked, leiden, moved, permanently, genoa, italy, 2008, 2016born, 1968, january, 1968, rijswijk, netherlandsoccup. Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer born 17 January 1968 is a Dutch poet novelist polemicist and classical scholar He was born in Rijswijk Netherlands and studied lived and worked in Leiden and he moved permanently to Genoa Italy in 2008 Ilja Leonard PfeijfferIlja Leonard Pfeijffer in 2016Born 1968 01 17 17 January 1968 age 56 Rijswijk NetherlandsOccupationWriterLanguageDutchYears active1998 present Contents 1 Biography 2 Awards and honors 3 Works 3 1 Poetry 3 2 Prose 3 3 English translations 4 External links 4 1 Articles 4 2 Online poems with translations Biography editIlja Leonard Pfeijffer was born on 17 January 1968 in Rijswijk in the Netherlands He made his debut in 1998 with a collection entitled Of the Square Man containing of fifty odd highly individualistic poems This debut won him the 1999 C Buddingh poetry prize As well as a poet Pfeijffer was for some time a Greek scholar on the staff of Leiden University He wrote a dissertation on the poetry of Pindar and published a history of classical literature for the general reader Regarding his own poetry he has outspoken views not just in his oft quoted programmatic opening poem Farewell Dinner in which he dismisses the hermetic Hans Faverey and calls for butter baked images and bulimic verse Pfeijffer s poetic polemics leave no room for doubt as to what kind of poetry he prefers He feels akin to Lucebert and he abhors the paper verse of introverted hermetics and meek hearted dreamers stumble stiff romantic mumble on Poetry should have life and preferably in Lucebert s words life in full nbsp Pfeijffer at the Nacht van de Poezie 2015 Dutch Poetry Night event nbsp Pfeijffer signing his novel Grand Hotel Europa at Eindhoven 2019 nbsp Photo by Pfeiffer of the courtyard of Palazzo Doria Tursi Via Garibaldi 9 Genoa 2016 nbsp The Hogewoerd address where Pfeijffer lived as a classics student in Leiden 2023 Thus Pfeijffer the gleaner of contrivances quotes not only Pindar and Ezra Pound Horace and Lucebert Sophocles Derek Walcott Herman Gorter Hans Faverey Martinus Nijhoff and Gerard Reve but comic book characters as well He not only writes about the political martyr Ken Saro Wiwa but also about C amp A sweaters and Fiat Croma barcodes canned beer butt tight and garamond ten point italic The poet neither lacks humor or self mockery nor seriousness for that matter witness his hotly tender love poems and though I sang and gave over my loins and you failed to scorch my senses I should be useless white on white Awards and honors edit1999 C Buddingh Prize 1999 for Of the Square Man 2002 Anton Wachter Prize nl 2002 for Rupert 2003 Gerard Walschap Londerzeel Literature Prize nl or Seghers Literatuurprijs 2003 for Rupert 2005 Tzum prize for the best literary sentence nl over 2004 2014 Tzumprijs voor de beste literaire zin over 2013 2014 Libris Prize for La Superba 2015 De Inktaap nl for La Superba 2015 Jan Campert Prize for Idyllen 2015 Awater Poezieprijs for Idyllen 2015 E du Perron Prize nl for Gelukszoekers and Idyllen ant the colums in NRC Next 2015 VSB Poetry Prize for Idyllen 2015 Awater Poezieprijs for Idyllen 2016 VSB Poetry Prize for Idyllen 2016 Proza prize from the Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature for La Superba 2017 Toneelschrijfprijs for De advocaatWorks editPoetry edit Van de vierkante man 1998 Het glimpen van de welkwiek 2001 Dolores Elegieen 2002 In de naam van de hond De grote gedichten 2005 De man van vele manieren Verzamelde gedichten 1998 2008 collected poems Idyllen 2015 Giro Giro Tondo een obsessie 2015 Prose edit De antieken Een literatuurgeschiedenis literary history 2000 Rupert Een bekentenis novel 2002 Het geheim van het vermoorde geneuzel essays 2003 Het grote baggerboek novel 2004 Het ware leven Een roman novel 2006 De eeuw van mijn dochter theatre 2007 Second Life Verhalen en reportages uit een tweede leven essay 2007 Malpensa theatre 2008 De filosofie van de heuvel Op de fiets naar Rome travel literature with Gelya Bogyatishcheva 2009 Harde feiten Honderd romans short fiction 2010 De Griekse mythen mythological compendium 2010 La Superba novel 2013 Brieven uit Genua letters 2016 Grand Hotel Europa novel 2018 Monterosso mon amour novella 2022 Alkibiades novel 2023 English translations edit Rupert A Confession 2009 translated by Michele Hutchison Rochester Open Letter 2009 ISBN 1 934824 09 7 La Superba translated by Michele Hutchison Dallas TX Deep Vellum Publishing 2016 External links edit nbsp Media related to Ilja Pfeijffer at Wikimedia Commons Official website Ilja Pfeijffer aka Ilja Pfeiffer the most important poet from the Netherlands satirical website Quite comprehensive bibliography same website as above Articles edit Article on I L Pfeijffer at the Koninklijke Bibliotheek in Dutch Online poems with translations edit en wat het dan betekent and what it means Archived 7 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine Een Corinthische ode A Corinthian ode Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer amp oldid 1214266493, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
