Robin Robertson
Robin Robertson (1955) is a Scottish poet. His first collection of poetry, A Painted Field, published in 1997 astounded readers with its maturity and its power led them to the dark depths of the human soul, winning him the Scottish First Book of the Year Award. The narrative poem The Long Take (2018) stands out among Robertson’s poetry, and it was nominated for the Booker Prize; he was also the first poet to win the Walter Scott Prize for the work. It follows the journey of a young man who survived the meatgrinder of the Second World War and D-Day and passes through the United States. Post-traumatic stress prevents the protagonist from returning home, which is why he is seeking redemption and change in the metropolises of the continent – New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles –, which remind him of the recent war because at times they seem to be far away, yet then come unexpectedly close. Robertson’s most recent book is Grimoire, published in 2020. The title refers to old teachings of magic that showed how to make talismans and amulets, create magical words and summon spirits – Robertson himself is also summoning all kinds of spirits, which is why emotions and events are billowing like the landscape of his native Scotland. Robin Robertson will speak to writer Jan Kaus.
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