On Wednesday, June 12th, 2013 at 6PM — Labyrinth Books will host a reading by Emery George from his recent translation of Friedrich Hölderlin’s poems. The reading will be followed by a discussion of the work of translating in general and of translating metered poetry in particular.

Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843) is regarded by many as the quintessential German poet. George’s bilingual volume contains 255 of Hölderlin’s approximately 400 poems, over 65 of them never translated before. The poems represent Hölderlin’s work in every period of his development. Eight years in the making, these translations render the poems in the exact meters of the originals, and are alert throughout to syntax. Half creative, half scholarly, the volume aims at an audience that expects fidelity to the poetic text as well as expert commentary. The translations offer a long overdue and fresh American version of Hölderlin’s poetic work.

Emery George is professor emeritus of German at the University of Michigan. A poet and translator of distinction, Mr. George has 28 books to his credit, including 6 on Hölderlin and nine published collections of his own poetry.