Jean Portante was born in Differdange (Luxembourg) in 1950. He represents, along with the poet Anise Koltz, the best in contemporary literature from Luxembourg. He has written novels, stories, plays and poetry, and has been translated in more than twenty languages. His books have been published in Luxembourg, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Québec, Ireland, Italy, Rumania, Germany, Slovakia, Argentina, Colombia, etc. He translated to the French poets like Juan Gelman, Jerome Rothenberg, Maria Luisa Spaziani, etc. He's the director of the " Graphiti " series of international poetry in Luxembourg. He is a founding member of the European Academy of Poetry and a member of International PEN-France. His poetry moves with an easy and familiar cadence into realms of the surreal that sit brillantly with acute observed realities. He is a powerful and individual voice in European poetry. In 2003 his book L'Etrange langue was given the Mallarmé award in France, and the same year Portante was given in France the Grand Prix d'Automne de la Société des Gens de Lettres, for his entire work. His latest book, La Cendre des mots, is a personal anthology published by French editor Le Castor Astral and containing a selection of his work from 1989 to 2005.
Jean Portante was born in Differdange (Luxembourg) in 1950. He represents, along with the poet Anise Koltz, the best in contemporary literature from Luxembourg. He has written novels, stories, plays and poetry, and has been translated in more than twenty languages. His books have been published in Luxembourg, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Québec, Ireland, Italy, Rumania, Germany, Slovakia, Argentina, Colombia, etc. He translated to the French poets like Juan Gelman, Jerome Rothenberg, Maria Luisa Spaziani, etc. He's the director of the " Graphiti " series of international poetry in Luxembourg. He is a founding member of the European Academy of Poetry and a member of International PEN-France. His poetry moves with an easy and familiar cadence into realms of the surreal that sit brillantly with acute observed realities. He is a powerful and individual voice in European poetry. In 2003 his book L'Etrange langue was given the Mallarmé award in France, and the same year Portante was given in France the Grand Prix d'Automne de la Société des Gens de Lettres, for his entire work. His latest book, La Cendre des mots, is a personal anthology published by French editor Le Castor Astral and containing a selection of his work from 1989 to 2005.