Unveiling the Unfolding Saga: A Closer Look at the Recent Developments
Humble Poet Liesel Willems to Unveil New Collection at Literary House
On March 30th, Liesel Willems will present her latest collection of poems at our literary establishment, titled "Bleibschein". A noteworthy preface for the book was generously offered by the Rheinische Post's culture editor, Petra Diederichs.
Willems masterfully captures everyday episodes, transforming them into unadorned yet evocative poetry. She delves into the profound anxieties of old age, death, and war, and the simple joys of life with equal deftness.
One of Willems' most notable writings is her interpretation of "Stufen" by Hermann Hesse which reads, "And every beginning has a magic within it". In sharp contrast, Willems' new work finds magic in farewells, encapsulating the last flicker of light before fades. The collection, which comprises 120 poems, was published by Sassafras Verlag at the end of 2024.
The poems of the award-winning author are far from trite. While the book consist of only 98 slim pages, their content is rich and carries a sense of weight despite being light-footed. Words and images linger in the mind's eye, resurfacing at unexpected moments.
Willems' observant gaze chronicles the decay of a neglected townhouse, as tenderly as it captures the exuberance of a child running through a supermarket. Her keen perspective of life, enhanced by years of experience yet perpetually growing with new discoveries, imbues the poems with a melancholy, bittersweet tone.
War looms as a topic, eliciting the dread of escaping into the mundane. For those unfamiliar with its horrors, the devastation of loss, the burial of a child in icy earth, the verses serve as a poignant reminder. Willems eloquently expresses the ambiguity and the mismeasure of happiness against the course of history.
The poems are divided into eight chapters, each summarizing the themes of farewells, encounters, small people, peculiarities, and so forth. The title "Bleibschein", hangs over the collection, signifying the ephemeral nature of moments that feel like eternities. Life's fleeting radiance, the waning of strength, and the sadness that comes with the awareness of mortality, are constant themes in Willems' work.
Willems' language is straightforward and unpretentious, yet invokes feelings of nostalgia and longing. She speaks of the impending end, the fading of life's brightness, and the pain of witnessing another's decline, all while maintaining the hope that happiness once experienced remains.
Liesel Willems has been publishing poetry and stories for four decades. She was among the inaugural authors at Sassafras Verlag and a member of its more than 20-year-old literary workshop, led by publisher Klaus Ulrich Düsselberg. After his passing, she assumed editorial responsibilities for the magazine "Literatur am Niederrhein". For her poetry, stories, and children's books, she has accumulated several awards, including the NRW Lyric Prize 2014 and the Niederrhein Literature Prize 2018.
The poetry collection has been adorned with small, poetic drawings by author, painter, and editor of literary magazine "Wortschau", Johanna Hansen. Her visual language complements Willems' tone seamlessly, and each drawing tells its own story subtly. Hansen, a resident of Düsseldorf, publishes her own drawings and poetry with and has been recognized with several awards and working scholarships.
The presentation of "Bleibschein" at our literary house promises a thought-provoking encounter with Willems' profound and poignant poetry.
At the literary house presentation, attendees can expect Liesel Willems' new collection, "Bleibschein," to delve into both the profound anxieties of life and the simple joys, also offering insights into subjects like entertainment and lifestyle through her poetry. The collection, containing 120 poems, includes items like books and drawings, as Johanna Hansen, an author, painter, and editor, has adorned the collection with small, poetic drawings.
