Alfred Schaffer ― , zo heb ik u lief. alle gedichten tot nu toe

vier figuren, ogenschijnlijk naast elkaar
op een windstille ochtend zomaar midden in het jaar
in een ruimte zonder afmetingen
en al bijna zonder kleur, wat een hardnekkig
vooruitzicht, zo
heb ik u lief.

Ever since his debut with in 2000, poet, translator and teacher Alfred Schaffer has been writing polyphonic poetry which poses the question of what people must do in our world. Schaffer is a generous poet, there is room in his work for the voices of others. The South African reality — Schaffer has been teaching at the University of Stellenbosch since 2011 — has led to a stronger engagement in his work. According to Schaffer: ‘Writing is involvement, and so writing is per definition political.’ For his entire oeuvre, Alfred Schaffer received the P.C. Hooft-prize for poetry 2021.

Schaffer’s poetry invites endless rereading, according to the jury, that also praised his ability as a poet to be at the heart of society without yielding to fleeting trends: ‘This is reflected in his susceptibility for modern forms of communication, but especially in the sincere involvement with the world that is expressed in his verses.

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