Menno Wigman

(Beverwijk, NL 1966) made his debut in 1997 with the collection of poems 's Zomers stinken alle steden (In the Summer all Cities Smell). The tone which this 'dandy of disillusion' set in his debut was worked out in his later work. Poems going back to historical heroes and literary giants, in contrast to everyday banalities like department stores and hamburger joints. In the poems the influence of music on the work of this former punk rocker becomes visible: metric structure, strong rhythm and ample rhyme. His debut was followed by Zwart als kaviaar: (Black like Caviar), recipient of the Jan Campert Award, and Dit is mijn dag (This is My Day) and De wereld bij avond, (The world at Night). In 2009 he published a selection of his poetry in De droefenis van copyrettes (The Sadness of Copy Marts). In 2010 his book of essays appeared: Red ons van de dichters (Deliver Us from the Poets). In January 2012, the month in which Wigman became Amsterdam's 'city poet' Mijn naam is Legioen, (My Name Is Legion) appeared, which was nominated for the prestigious VSB Poetry Award.