Robert Menasse
Encyclopedia
Robert Menasse is an Austria
n writer.
As an undergraduate, Menasse studied in Vienna
, Salzburg
and Messina. In 1980 he completed his PhD thesis "Der Typus des Außenseiters im Literaturbetrieb. Am Beispiel Hermann Schürrer" ("The outsider phenotype within literature").
Between 1981 and 1988 Menasse worked as a junior lecturer at the Institute of Literature Theory at the University of São Paulo
, Brazil
. He has been working as a freelance publicist, columnist and translator of novels from Portuguese
into German
ever since.
His first novel Sinnliche Gewissheit, published in 1988, is a semi-autobiographical tale of Austrians living in exile in Brazil.
The magazine Literatur und Kritik
published Menasse's first poem ("Kopfwehmut") in 1989.
His later novels were Selige Zeiten, brüchige Welt (1991, translated into English as Wings of Stone ISBN 0-7145-4295-4), Schubumkehr (1995, Engl. Reverse Thrust) and Die Vertreibung aus der Hölle (2001).
In 1990 Robert Menasse was the first writer to be awarded the Heimito von Doderer
Prize. Since returning to Europe
from Brazil, Menasse has mainly lived in the cities of Berlin
, Vienna and Amsterdam
. He currently lives in Vienna and is married.
Menasse's language
is at times playful and at times subtly sarcastic. Recurring themes in his
novels are loneliness
and alienation
within human relationships and as a result of his character's lives' circumstances. In his work Menasse often criticises the latent form of antisemitism still widespread in
the German-speaking world today.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n writer.
As an undergraduate, Menasse studied in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
and Messina. In 1980 he completed his PhD thesis "Der Typus des Außenseiters im Literaturbetrieb. Am Beispiel Hermann Schürrer" ("The outsider phenotype within literature").
Between 1981 and 1988 Menasse worked as a junior lecturer at the Institute of Literature Theory at the University of São Paulo
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. He has been working as a freelance publicist, columnist and translator of novels from Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
into German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
ever since.
His first novel Sinnliche Gewissheit, published in 1988, is a semi-autobiographical tale of Austrians living in exile in Brazil.
The magazine Literatur und Kritik
Literatur und Kritik
The Austrian literary magazine Literatur und Kritik was founded in April 1966 by the Austrian writers Rudolf Henz, Gerhard Fritsch, and Paul Kruntorad as successor of the literary publication Wort in der Zeit, which had existed since 1955.-Profile:Compared to its predecessor, Literatur und Kritik...
published Menasse's first poem ("Kopfwehmut") in 1989.
His later novels were Selige Zeiten, brüchige Welt (1991, translated into English as Wings of Stone ISBN 0-7145-4295-4), Schubumkehr (1995, Engl. Reverse Thrust) and Die Vertreibung aus der Hölle (2001).
In 1990 Robert Menasse was the first writer to be awarded the Heimito von Doderer
Heimito von Doderer
Heimito von Doderer was a famous Austrian writer.- Life and work :...
Prize. Since returning to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
from Brazil, Menasse has mainly lived in the cities of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Vienna and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. He currently lives in Vienna and is married.
Menasse's language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
is at times playful and at times subtly sarcastic. Recurring themes in his
novels are loneliness
Loneliness
Loneliness is an unpleasant feeling in which a person feels a strong sense of emptiness and solitude resulting from inadequate levels of social relationships. However, it is a subjective experience...
and alienation
Social alienation
The term social alienation has many discipline-specific uses; Roberts notes how even within the social sciences, it “is used to refer both to a personal psychological state and to a type of social relationship”...
within human relationships and as a result of his character's lives' circumstances. In his work Menasse often criticises the latent form of antisemitism still widespread in
the German-speaking world today.
Awards
- Heimito von Doderer Prize 1990
- Alexander Sacher Masoch PrizeAlexander Sacher Masoch PrizeThe Alexander Sacher Masoch Prize is a literary award which is conferred by the Literaturhaus, Vienna. The prize, worth 7,000 euro, is to support young Austrian writers...
1994 - Österreichischer Staatspreis für Kulturpublizistik 1998
- Joseph Breitbach Prize 2002
- Friedrich Hölderlin Prize 2002
- Lion Feuchtwanger Prize 2002
- Marie Luise Kaschnitz PrizeMarie Luise Kaschnitz PrizeThe Marie Luise Kaschnitz Prize is a German literary prize, awarded every two years in the autumn by the Evangelical Academy of Tutzing. It recognizes the lifetime achievements of writers in the German language. The monetary value is €7500.The prize commemorates Marie Luise Kaschnitz, who died in...
2002 - Erich Fried PrizeErich Fried PrizeThe Erich Fried Prize is a literary prize in honour of the Austrian poet Erich Fried, and is awarded annually by the International Erich Fried Association for Literature and Language, based in Vienna. The value of the prize, endowed by the office of the Chancellor of Austria, is 14,600 euros...
2003