As a whole, the meticulous work of Mircea Lăcătus draws on the rich experiences of a poet who grew up in the ‘world of the Roma’. The writer-sculptor skilfully and calmly reflects on the precarious situation of the Romani people. His poems wander through dreamscapes and dreamworlds, tell family stories and reflect on existential hardships and worries. Mircea Lăcătus creates poetic sculptures through his use of imagery, while offering to share the treasure of his experience.

Having submitted his work to the ‘exil’ literature awards in 2007, Mircea Lăcătus was offered the opportunity to publish his poems in the ‘edition exil’. He had originally written his works in Romanian; the first raw translation into German was undertaken by his daughter and subsequently revised by the professional translator Aranca Munteanu. Following lively discussions and exchanges between Mircea Lăcătus, the translator and Christa Stippinger, the editor of ‘edition exil’, the bilingual (German and Romanian) versions of the poems were finalised for publication.

Source of text samples

Lăcătuş, Mirga. 2009. »rund um meine eltern eine burg / contruiam o cetate in jurul păinţilor mei«. Wien: edition exil, pp. 40–41; 74–75; 84–85; 94–95.