In a recent announcement, Dagmara Kraus, a distinguished poet and translator, has been named the recipient of the Oskar Pastior Prize 2025. The award, endowed with €40,000, celebrates Kraus’s exceptional contributions to experimental literature and her alignment with the avant-garde traditions championed by Oskar Pastior himself.
A Shared Literary Legacy
Born in 1981 in Wroclaw, Poland (formerly Breslau), Kraus’s work resonates deeply with the legacy of Oskar Pastior, who was born in 1927 in Sibiu, Romania. Both poets have carved unique paths in multilingual and experimental poetry, drawing inspiration from movements such as Surrealism, the Vienna Group, and Concrete Poetry. According to the Oskar Pastior Foundation, their works are marked by playful linguistic experimentation and philosophical depth. Despite their innovative forms, Kraus’s poetry remains profoundly rooted in contemporary experiences—biting, jubilant, and existentially resonant.
Kraus’s multilingual prowess spans German, Polish, French, English, and other languages. This linguistic versatility places her within what Pastior once described as the “family of literalists,” individuals who refuse to separate existence from consciousness artificially. Her 2019 dissertation at Freie Universität Berlin, titled Vom Sichersten … ins Bläueste – Poetiken des Sprungs (loosely translated as From the Safest … into the Bluest – Poetics of the Leap), is a testament to her intellectual engagement with Pastior’s oeuvre.
The Oskar Pastior Prize: A Tradition of Innovation
The Oskar Pastior Prize was established following Pastior’s wishes to honor authors who embody the spirit of avant-garde literary traditions. Since its inception in 2010 under the auspices of the Oskar Pastior Foundation, the prize has been awarded to luminaries such as Oswald Egger and Marcel Beyer. The foundation aims to support experimental literature rooted in traditions like those of the Vienna Group and OULIPO (Workshop for Potential Literature).
While initially intended as a biennial award, financial constraints have made its distribution less frequent. Nonetheless, its prestige remains undiminished. The prize not only recognizes literary excellence but also fosters critical engagement with Pastior’s legacy.
A Celebration of Poetry
The award ceremony for Dagmara Kraus will take place in June 2025 at the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin. This event will undoubtedly be a celebration of her remarkable achievements and her contributions to modern poetry.
