All there in a flash – Eco-Humanities Poetry Event with Dorothea Grünzweig (October 3, 2024)

Review by Hanna Bingel-Jones

As a special event and highlight of the 2024 autumn programme, the Eco-Humanities Public Lecture Series hosted an on-campus poetry reading with Dorothea Grünzweig, a renowned German-language poet from Finland and a distinguished voice in contemporary German ecological poetry. It was a privilege to meet such a remarkable poet and engage in direct conversation with her. The reading of her poems, translated for this event by Derk Wynand and Grünzweig herself, was enriched by her personal reflections and commentary. Inspired by Manley Hopkin’s vision of poetry as an “act of piety”, Grünzweig shared her commitment to creating poetry that embodies a contemplative spirit, encouraging us “to see more of the world around us”. Grünzweig read from Plötzlich alles da (All there in a flash), Kaamos Kosmos, and Glasstimmen lasinäänet (Glass Voices lasinäänet) – lyrical works that show the fascination and beauty of the northern landscape and its wildlife, while also addressing the endangerment and vulnerability of nature. The audience was introduced to a fascinating aspect of her work – her engagement with the translations of the Mansi lyrics (the Bear Songs), which she incorporates into what she describes as “tapestry of artwork”. After her reading, the audience – a diverse group of UCC colleagues and people from the local community – engaged in a lively open discussion, with thoughts about how poetry can help to forge meaningful connections with the non-human natural world.

The event, along with Grünzweig’s visit to Cork, was organised by Hanna Bingel-Jones from the German Department, and it was generously funded by the Eco-Humanities Research Group, the UCC Futures Humanities Institute, the German Embassy in Dublin and the German Academic Exchange Service. During her stay, Grünzweig also participated in an interview, which will be published in a German Studies journal.