A reminder of experimental poetry, drama and the magic of Northern Bohemia and the poet standing in the fire.
Emil Julis (1920 - 2006) entered the literary scene at the age of thirty-seven, when Jiri Kolar recommended his entirely unknown verses for publication in the Club of Bibliophiles. In 1953 he was part of the ‘70,000 out of administration into production” sent to work in a steel mill in Most. It was an initiation for him. He found this landscape full of contrasts to be fascinating, just like Dante’s depiction of hell.
In the 60s he was among the leading personalities in Czech experimental poetry, using sophisticated mystifications that dealt ironically with the lyrical hypocrisy of “engaged” poetry. Over a period of four years, five collections appeared, but the sixth was destroyed by the authorities in 1971.
His work was recognized after 1990, but his masterful poetry has not yet reached a broad audience.
