Renate Schmidgall's debut poetry collection 'Kein Verlass auf Uhren und Gestirne' published by Secession Verlag

Renate Schmidgall, previously known primarily as a translator of Polish poetry into German, has released her first poetry collection titled 'Kein Verlass auf Uhren und Gestirne' through Secession Verlag. The 143-page paperback features lyrical reflections on memory, nature, love, loss, and human experience. Polish poets Adam Zagajewski and Tadeusz Dabrowski long advocated for Schmidgall's poems to be collected in book form. Writer Michael Krüger contributed an enthusiastic afterword celebrating the publication. Schmidgall's work has been praised for its evocative discretion and poetic snapshots that reference everyday life. The collection includes nature observations featuring various birds and contemplations of childhood, aging, and mortality. Schmidgall has received multiple awards for her translations, including the 2009 Karl-Dedecius-Preis, the 2015 Preis des Polnischen PEN-Clubs, and the 2017 Johann-Heinrich-Voß-Preis. She considers her writing more influenced by Polish poetic traditions than German ones, citing inspiration from poets like Maciej Niemiec and Adam Zagajewski. The title poem explores themes of impermanence and the unreliability of timekeeping devices and celestial bodies. The book has been recommended as particularly worthwhile reading among this year's new publications.