Roland Hagenberg’s second poetry collection, featuring 40 illustrated poems, is a fusion of poetry and art. His poems explore the profound themes of human existence, capturing Hagenberg’s emotional insights and moods in both words and illustrations. Many of his drawings, inspired by traditional Japanese woodblock prints, visually extend his poetry, creating a tactile, immersive experience.
Accompanying the poems are soundtracks interpreted by exceptional voices, making this work a multi-sensory journey. Listen to samples from the book on SoundCloud.
Vienna-born Hagenberg is a writer, artist, and photographer now based in Kyoto and Tokyo. His first poem was published in 1978 in the Viennese literary magazine Freibord, the same year he co-founded Die Klinge, a magazine featuring notable authors such as Friederike Mayröcker and Robert Menasse.
Hagenberg also spearheaded the “Raiding Project” in Raiding, Austria—the birthplace of composer Franz Liszt. Collaborating with renowned Japanese architects like Terunobu Fujimori and Hiroshi Hara, he created the guesthouse “Stork House” (2013) and the sculptural shelter “Three Travelers” (2016). He later designed “Silver House” (2018), a building of his own concept. His photographs, especially portraits of 1980s New York artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, have been showcased internationally.
BEDSIDE POEMS is publish in German and in Japanese. The Japanese translations present short excerpts from the original German text. While these translations try to capture the mood of each poem, they leave out the rhythm, rhyme, and nuanced meanings inherent to certain German words.
BEDSIDE POEMS is co-produced by Roland Hagenberg and Shoshi Maimai publishing house in Tokyo.
Authorship: Roland Hagenberg