Klaus Ebner
{{Short description|Austrian writer (born 1964)}}
{{Infobox writer
|name = Klaus Ebner
|image = KlausEbner5.jpg
|caption = Klaus Ebner in 2011
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|8|8|df=y}}
|birth_place = Vienna
|death_date =
|death_place =
|occupation = Writer, essayist, poet, translator
|nationality = Austrian
|period = Contemporary
|movement =
|notableworks = Hominid (novel)
|spouse =
|influences =
|influenced =
|signature=
}}
Klaus Ebner (born 8 August 1964) is an Austrian writer, essayist, poet, and translator. Born and raised in Vienna, he began writing at an early age. He started submitting stories to magazines in the 1980s, and also published articles and books on software topics after 1989. Ebner's poetry is written in German and Catalan; he also translates French and Catalan literature into German. He is a member of several Austrian writers associations, including the Grazer Autorenversammlung.
His works include cultural essays on Catalan topics, and stories dealing with Jewish traditions. His first collection of short stories was printed in 2007. In 2008, Ebner published the short novel Hominide. He has received several literature awards, among them the Youth Prize Erster Österreichischer Jugendpreis in 1982, and the Viennese Wiener Werkstattpreis in 2007. Austrian critics, such as Wolfgang Ratz, have praised Ebner's prose-style. The writer lives in Vienna with his family.
Life
Klaus Ebner was born on 8 August 1964 in Vienna, Austria, where he grew up.Biographical note on [http://www.klausebner.eu/pages/biografie/autobiography-english.php the author's official website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309022928/http://www.klausebner.eu/pages/biografie/autobiography-english.php |date=2009-03-09 }}, retrieved on 2009-02-12. His mother, Ingeborg (b. 1944), worked as a hairdresser and his father, Walter (1939–1996), was a salesman who sold home entertainment products in the 1970s and later. His sister was born in 1969; the family moved one year later. Ebner attended Secondary School for eight years, and his first writing experiences date back to this time; at the age of twelve he wrote a short theater play and rehearsed it with his friends at school. However, the play was never performed.
In 1982, after a one-month university trip to Tours, France, Ebner began studying Romance languages, German philology, and translation at the University of Vienna. At this time he was already working for a literary circle and Viennese literature magazine.[http://katzoom.onb.ac.at/cgi-katzoom/piview.pl?adrs=PZ01259333 Austrian National Library; entries about the magazine Texte], retrieved on 2009-02-13, Vienna 1983–1986. After graduation in 1988 and 1989 he concentrated on various professional careers, such as translation,Ebner, K. and Lorenz, D. (2004): "DNS-Implementierung im Windows-Netzwerk/Implementing DNS on Windows Networks"; page 427, Microsoft Press. foreign language teaching and IT projects.Idem and Credle, R., Ebner, K., Greco, J., and Re Ferré, M. (1999): "Migrating IBM Netfinity Servers to Microsoft Windows 2000", page X, ITSO Redbook. In the 1990s, Ebner published articles and books on software and networking topics; while these books were written in German,The German books were published by Data Becker ({{ISBN|3-89011-224-2}} and 3-89011-366-4), Markt & Technik ({{ISBN|3-87791-137-4}}), IWT ({{ISBN|3-88322-352-2}} and 3-88322-463-4), TEWI (3-89362-571-2) and Microsoft Press ({{ISBN|3-86063-606-5}} and 3-86063-657-X) between 1989 and 2004. he also wrote some articles in English.NT Update, issues 9, 10, 14ff., xephon, London 1999–2002. In 1999, he spent six weeks in North Carolina, and was the co-author of a book in English about PC servers.Credle, R., Ebner, K., Greco, J., and Re Ferré, M. (1999): "Migrating IBM Netfinity Servers to Microsoft Windows 2000", page X, ITSO Redbook, {{ISBN|0-7384-1524-3}}.
In 2001, while studying European economics at a Viennese university of applied sciences, he authored a paper about Islamism in Europe, which was published in Germany in 2001.Ebner, K. (2001/2007): "Islamischer Fundamentalismus in der EU/Islamic Fundamentalism in the EU", GRIN Verlag, {{ISBN|978-3-638-69698-2}}. He also wrote several stories dealing with the Muslim civilization, such as in "Momentaufnahme" ("Snapshot") and "Flug sechs-zwo-zwo" ("Flight six-two-two)",Ebner, K. (2007): "Lose", page 133f., Edition Nove. "orgiastisch" ("orgiastic")Ebner, K. (2008): "Auf der Kippe", page 79f., Arovell Verlag. and others. Ebner lives in Vienna with his family. He is a member of the Austrian writers' associations Grazer Autorenversammlung (GAV)GAV members' list, [http://www.gav.at/index.php?id=254&tx_wecstaffdirectory_pi1%5Bcurstaff%5D=66&cHash=e9990e95dc entry about Klaus Ebner], retrieved on 2009-02-12. and Österreichischer Schriftstellerverband (ÖSV).
Work
Since graduating from school, Ebner has written short prose, poetry and radio plays. His work has been published in literary and cultural magazines such as Sterz,Sterz nr. 25/1983 and 99/2006. one of the largest literary magazine from Styria, Austria, and in Lesezirkel,Lesezirkel nr. 20/1986 and 27/1987. which was owned by the Viennese daily newspaper Wiener Zeitung. The topic of his 1988 master's thesis (Diplomarbeit), written in French, was titled "The Image of the Catalan Countries in French literature from Romanticism till Today".Entry of the Austrian National Library about Ebner's paper [http://aleph18.onb.ac.at/F/CFGD8H5E7VI7CRQP3F1F2MMSIPUCE7HQ15LB61IMFCPX949J1S-03560?func=full-set-set&set_number=199841&set_entry=000006&format=999 "L'image des pays catalans chez les ecrivains français à partir du romantisme"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531194823/http://aleph18.onb.ac.at/F/CFGD8H5E7VI7CRQP3F1F2MMSIPUCE7HQ15LB61IMFCPX949J1S-03560?func=full-set-set&set_number=199841&set_entry=000006&format=999 |date=2011-05-31 }} (The title or its first words have to be typed into the field "Schnellsuche", then click "Ok" to display the entry), retrieved on 2009-02-12. Excerpts of a Catalan Diary, containing travel journals and comments on Catalan culture, were published in 1987,Erste Österreichische Spar-Casse (Ed.), (1987): "Der Erste Österreichische Jugendpreis: Literaturjahr 1987". and in several essays he discusses Catalan culture.In addition to the literary essays, he published philological articles in the Zeitschrift für Katalanistik (Magazine for Catalan Studies, {{ISSN|0932-2221}}) nr. 15/2002 and 17/2004, and Europa Ethnica ({{ISSN|0014-2492}}) nr. 1-2/2005.
Increasing professional obligations after the birth of his first son in 1987 coincided with a reduction in his literary output. During the 1990s he instead focused his attention on his novel Feuers Geraun. Two early versions of this novel's chapters were published by the Upper Austrian magazine die Rampe in 1994 (Der Schreiber von Aram) and 1997 (Das Gesetz).die Rampe 2/94 (1994, {{ISBN|3-85320-679-4}}) and 2/97 (1997, {{ISBN|3-85320-822-3}}). These chapters deal with Jewish and biblical traditions.Die Bearbeitung von Themen wie Judentum und Islam wird im [http://www.penedesdigital.cat/2009/09/06/entrevista-a-klaus-ebner-la-majoria-dels-austriacs-coneixen-la-paraula-%C2%ABcatala%C2%BB-nomes-en-relacio-amb-els-exits-del-barca/ Interview des katalanischen E-Zines Penedès Digital] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907174427/http://www.penedesdigital.cat/2009/09/06/entrevista-a-klaus-ebner-la-majoria-dels-austriacs-coneixen-la-paraula-%C2%ABcatala%C2%BB-nomes-en-relacio-amb-els-exits-del-barca/ |date=2009-09-07 }} angesprochen. The publishing list on Ebner's website lists only six publications in anthologies by 2004, but seventeen are listed from between 2005 and 2008.Anthology publication list on the [http://www.klausebner.eu/pages/anthologien.php author's official homepage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309022913/http://www.klausebner.eu/pages/anthologien.php |date=2009-03-09 }}, retrieved on 2009-02-12, which indicates the respective publishing year.
Ebner has additionally written narrative fiction (novels, short stories, short prose), essays and poems. His poetry is written in German and Catalan. Supported by a subsidy for literature from the Austrian government, he went to Andorra in 2007 to write an essay about the country in the Pyrenees.Ebner, K. (2008): "Auf der Kippe", page 139, Arovell Verlag. He also translated the novel L'Absent written by the Catalan author Josep Navarro Santaeulàlia, into German.List of translations on the [http://www.klausebner.eu/pages/uebersetzung.php author's official homepage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421142759/http://klausebner.eu/pages/uebersetzung.php |date=2019-04-21 }}, retrieved on 2009-10-29. Ebner's cultural essays about Catalan culture, such as that of Barcelona and Andorra, have been published by the magazines Literatur und Kritik and Zitig.Literatur und Kritik nr. 397/398, 411/412, 2006–2008.[http://www.zitig.net Austrian based e-zine Zitig], {{ISSN|1999-2815}}, retrieved on 2009-02-12. His first collection of short stories, Lose (Destinies), was published in 2007. Of its 45 stories, twenty-two had already been printed in newspapers, literary magazines or anthologies."Lose", page 243. In 2008, Ebner published two other books of narrative fiction, among them the short novel Hominide.Info on the books [http://fza.or.at/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=219&Itemid=46 "Auf der Kippe" (book presentation)], and [http://www.kultur-online.net/?q=node/8784 "Hominide" (critical review by Karin Gayer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613011152/http://kultur-online.net/?q=node%2F8784 |date=2010-06-13 }}, both in German and retrieved on 2009-10-29.
= Style of writing =
Ebner's short stories in particular cover a multitude of topics, which, as critic Julia Rafael states, treat actual and socially relevant problems. She describes the stories included in the anthology Lose as "somewhat imploding" and says that "phantasms, irony and humor have their place, too".Rafael, J.: Critic review of the book Lose, in: Literarisches Österreich nr. 1 (2008), page 27. Moreover, Ebner's metaphors have been described as "passing beyond reality without losing ground". According to journalist Paul C. Jezek, Ebner's writing style is characterized by very careful and acerbic wording. Each sentence has a melody; his short prose especially sounds lyrical. Jezek compares Ebner's sentences to "Japanese paintings – every word has been chosen with special care".Seine Zeilen sind wie japanische Malerei: Jedes Wort ist sorgfältig gewählt. Club 1 Magazin nr. 54 (1988), page 11. Austrian writer and critic Wolfgang Ratz made a similar observation, drawing attention to "the accurateness of Ebner's speech" and "his affinity with formal details", while singling out the sarcastic stridency of the critical stories.Ratz, W.: Critic review of the book Auf der Kippe, in: Literarisches Österreich nr. 2 (2008), pages 20–21.
= Awards and accomplishments =
In 1982, Ebner was awarded the Youth Prize for Literature (Großer Österreichischer Jugendpreis) for his novella Das Brandmal (The Stigma), which had attracted the attention of Austrian critic and jury member Hans Weigel. Weigel compared Ebner to Austria's 19th century novella writer Ferdinand von Saar.Article "Ab nach Frankreich" in: Club 1 Magazin nr. 1/83 (1983), page 10f. The novella tells the story of a young community servant who, through his service, becomes acquainted with a seemingly bewildered pensioner; a Viennese Jew whose bewilderment is a direct consequence of his experiences in a concentration camp during the Third Reich. One year later, the novella was published in several parts in Israel's German newspaper Israel-Nachrichten.Ebner, K. (1983): Das Brandmal, in: Israel-Nachrichten, April issues. The jury of the Feldkircher Lyrikpreis 2005 pointed out Ebner's precise language and his "consequent work on wording".Kronabitter, E. (Ed.) (2008): "Lyrik der Gegenwart", page 87, Edition Art Science. {{ISBN|978-3-902157-43-0}}. In 2007, Ebner's poem, "a paperman and sick", became one of the Mentioned Poems at the International Poetry Prize Nosside.Refer to the [https://web.archive.org/web/20080514105611/http://www.nosside.com/premiati_07.pdf listing of results of the Nosside Award Jury 2007]. The jury referred to the "metropolitan tristesse" in the poem which describes a "paperman" whose "meal consists of loneliness":Amoroso, G. (2007): L'immaginario dei poeti del Nosside 2007 e il loro potere di esprimere il mondo, page 41 (Italian), page 49f. (Spanish), p. 56 (Portuguese), {{ISBN|978-88-7351-184-7}}.Ebner, K. (2007): a paperman and sick, in: Amato, P. and Salfrán, M. J. (2007): "Nosside 2007", page 113 (German, English and Italian versions), Città del Sole Edizioni.
class="wikitable" |
German (original poem) ! English |
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ein Zettler krank vergessen ganz im Suff die Wagenräder sperren zäh sein Mahl besteht aus Einsamkeit garniert mit Sehnsucht nach Vergangenem betört von lauten Rufen Hoffnung wie vor langem sie verlosch | a paperman and sick forlorn in drunkenness the wheels are blocking clumsily his meal consists of loneliness its garnish is the yearning for the past beguiled by shouts of thunder hope that long ago has died |
In 2008, Ebner was awarded the Wiener Werkstattpreis for his short story "Der Flügel Last" ("The Wings' Burden"), which describes a seven-year-old girl who suffers from cancer.The awarded texts have been published in the Prize Brochure: Schaden, P. (Ed.) (2008): "wordshop x", FZA Verlag. Another award-winning essay, "Was blieb vom Weißen Ritter?" ("What Remains of the White Knight?"), gives insight into the medieval novel Tirant lo Blanch by Joanot Martorell from Valencia. Ebner intermingled his own reading experience with philological and historical information to create "Was blieb vom Weißen Ritter?".
Awards and literary prizes
- 1982 Erster Österreichischer Jugendpreis (Youth Prize for Literature) for the novella Das Brandmal/The StigmaClub 1 Magazin nr. 01 (1983).
- 1984 Radio Play Award by the literary magazine Texte (3rd)Literary Magazine Texte 8, Vienna, March 1984, p. 33. The radio play is printed on the pages 27–33. All issues of the magazine Texte are archived by the [http://katzoom.onb.ac.at/cgi-katzoom/piview.pl?adrs=PZ01259333 Austrian National Library (Zeitschriftenarchiv)].
- 1988 Erster Österreichischer Jugendpreis (Youth Prize for Literature) for the novel NilsClub 1 Magazin nr. 54 (1988), page 11.
- 2004 La Catalana de Lletres 2004, Mention and publication in the anthology, BarcelonaCervera, J. (Ed.) (2005): "la catalana de lletres 2004", page 40, Cossetània Edicions, {{ISBN|84-9791-098-2}}.
- 2005 Feldkircher Lyrikpreis (4th)"Lyrik der Gegenwart", pages 81, 87 and 102–103.
- 2007 Premio Internazionale di Poesia Nosside, Mention and publication in the anthology, Reggio Calabria
- 2007 Travel Subsidy by the Austrian Government[http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/17373/kunstbericht_2007.pdf Annual Report of the Austrian Department of Culture], "Kunstbericht 2007", p. 71, retrieved on 2010-05-03.
- 2008 Two Subsidies for Literature by the Austrian Government[http://www.literaturhaus.at/autoren/E/K-Ebner/bio.html Literaturhaus Wien, biography], retrieved on 2009-10-29.[http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/18174/kunstbericht2008.pdf Annual Report of the Austrian Department of Culture], "Kunstbericht 2008", p. 72, retrieved on 2010-05-03.
- 2008 Wiener Werkstattpreis 2007, ViennaSchaden, P. (Ed.) (2008): "wordshop x", FZA Verlag.
- 2009 Travel Subsidy by the Austrian Government[http://www.bmukk.gv.at/medienpool/19411/kunstbericht2009.pdf Annual Report of the Austrian Department of Culture], "Kunstbericht 2009", p. 76, retrieved on 2010-07-07.
- 2010 Second Prize of the Short Prose Award "Sprachräume – Schreibwelten" of the Austrian Writers' Association[http://www.literaturhaus.at/index.php?id=205&tx_ttnews%5btt_news%5d=153&cHash=b751b27423 Writers' Association's ceremony in the Literaturhaus of Vienna, October 6, 2010.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320164230/http://www.literaturhaus.at/index.php?id=205&tx_ttnews%5btt_news%5d=153&cHash=b751b27423 |date=March 20, 2012 }} Archive of the Literaturhaus stating the names of the five award winners, retrieved on 2011-08-19.
- 2014 Premi de Poesia Parc Taulí;[http://www.tauli.cat/tauli/images/Noticies/documents/2014_12_1_PremiPoesia_NP.pdf Press Note by Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí], retrieved on 2016-08-01. Catalan Poetry Prize
Publications
= English Translations =
- Why (...I write); autobiographical essay, Books on Demand, Norderstedt (FRG), {{ISBN|978-3-7519-0379-0}}
= German Books =
- Wortspieler. Samuel Becketts Suche nach der verlorenen Sprache.; essay, Books on Demand, Norderstedt (FRG), {{ISBN|978-3-7519-3585-2}}
- Warum (...ich schreibe); autobiographical essay, Books on Demand, Norderstedt (FRG), {{ISBN|978-3-7494-7041-9}}
- Ohne Gummi/Without rubber; stories, Arovell Verlag, Gosau-Salzburg-Wien, {{ISBN|978-3-902808-36-3}}
- Dort und anderswo/There and elsewhere; essays on travels and literature, Wels 2011, {{ISBN|978-3-9502828-9-4}}
- Andorranische Impressionen; essay, Wieser Verlag, Klagenfurt 2011, {{ISBN|978-3-85129-934-2}}
- wieso der Mückenschwarm dein Augenlicht umtanzt/why the midges dance around your eyes; poetry, Edition Art Science, St. Wolfgang 2011, {{ISBN|978-3-902157-88-1}}
- Hominide/Hominid; short novel, FZA Verlag, Vienna 2008, {{ISBN|978-3-9502299-7-4}}
- Auf der Kippe/On the brink; prose, Arovell Verlag, Gosau 2008, {{ISBN|978-3-902547-67-5}}
- Lose/Destinies; short stories, Edition Nove, Neckenmarkt 2007, {{ISBN|978-3-85251-197-9}}
= Catalan Books =
- Forats; poetry, Books on Demand, Madrid 2020, {{ISBN|978-84-1326-290-1}}
- Vestigis; poetry, Books on Demand, Madrid 2019, {{ISBN|978-84-1326-643-5}}
- Blaus/Shades of Blue; poetry, Pagès Editors, Barcelona 2015, {{ISBN|978-84-9975-627-1}}
- Vermells/Shades of Red; poetry, SetzeVents (Catalan article), Urús 2009, {{ISBN|978-84-92555-10-9}}
= Other publications =
- "Josep Pla"; essay about the Catalan writer Josep Pla. In: Zitig (online magazine), Vienna 2008
- "Was blieb vom Weißen Ritter?"; essay about the medieval novel Tirant lo Blanch. In: Wordshop X – Wiener Werkstattpreis 2007 (brochure), FZA Verlag, Vienna 2008
- "Die Stadt und das Meer"; essay about Barcelona. In: Reisenotizen, FZA Verlag, Vienna 2007, {{ISBN|978-3-9502299-4-3}}
- "Die Freiheit ist eine Funzel"; essay on freedom and liberty. In: Lichtungen nr. 109 ({{ISSN|1012-4705}}), Graz 2007
- "Von der Legende zur Modernität"; essay about Andorra. In: Literatur und Kritik nr. 411/412 ({{ISSN|0024-466X}}), Salzburg 2007
- "Die Kunst ist der Anfang"; essay on translation of literature. In: Literarisches Österreich nr. 1/07 (magazine, ZVR 295943463), Vienna 2007
- "Das Reizvolle der Prophezeiung"; essay on prophecies. In: Sterz nr. 99 (magazine, GZ 02Z033378M), Graz 2006
- "Das Gfrett mit der Reform"; essay about the new German orthography. In: Literarisches Österreich nr. 2/04 (magazine, ZVR 295943463), Vienna 2004
Notes
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.klausebner.eu/ Klaus Ebner's Official Website] (mainly in German and Catalan, but also containing some literary text examples translated to English)
- {{DNB portal|122228863|TYP=}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110628001816/http://paper.avui.cat/cultura/detail.php?id=172995 Article on Klaus Ebner in the Catalan newspaper AVUI] {{in lang|ca}}
- [http://www.gav.at/index.php?id=254&tx_wecstaffdirectory_pi1%5Bcurstaff%5D=66&cHash=e9990e95dc Biography, Austrian Writer's Association] Grazer Autorenversammlung {{in lang|de}}
- [http://www.schreib-lust.de/verlag/autoren/klaus_ebner.php Author page from publisher Schreiblust, Germany] {{in lang|de}}
- [http://www.literaturhaus.at/index.php?id=4751 Biography, Literaturhaus (House of Literature) Vienna] {{in lang|de}}
- [http://diarimaresme.com/entrevistes/l%5c%27entrevista/klaus-ebner/ Interview by the Catalan E-Zine Diari Maresme] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831231209/http://diarimaresme.com/entrevistes/l%5C%27entrevista/klaus-ebner/ |date=2009-08-31 }} {{in lang|ca}}
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Category:Austrian male writers
Category:Translators from Catalan
Category:German-language writers