Klaus Modick (Germany)

The German writer and translator Klaus Modick (b. 1951, Oldenburg) has published numerous novels with a cultural-historical and biographical focus. He has written, for instance, about the friendship between Bertolt Brecht and Lion Feuchtwanger (Sunset, 2011), as well as the complex relationship between the poet Rainer Maria Rilke and the artist Heinrich Vogeler (“Konzert ohne Dichter”, 2015). The Rilke novel, “Concert Without a Poet”, became a true bestseller, warmly received by both critics and readers alike.

Klaus Modick will be speaking at Prima Vista primarily about his novel “Keyserling’s Secret” (“Keyserlings Geheimnis”, 2018), one of the settings of which is Tartu. This novel centres on the Baltic German writer and German literary impressionist Eduard von Keyserling (1855–1918). Born in Courland, Keyserling studied law at what was then the University of Dorpat between 1875 and 1877, and the closely guarded secret of his life is connected precisely to the years he spent in Tartu. The novel, which is culturally tied to Estonia, has been published in Anne Arold’s translation by Eesti Raamat.

In addition to artist novels, Modick, who has also published historical and family sagas, can most succinctly be described as offering refined, intelligent entertainment reminiscent of Anglo-Saxon literature. Despite its apparent lightness, his work meets many of the criteria demanded by more discerning literary tastes. Modick’s novels are well-structured, multilayered, evocative, and rich in detail.

Readers familiar with Keyserling’s oeuvre will recognise the style and atmosphere of Eduard von Keyserling’s works in Modick’s novel. The author himself has stated that he sought to write the novel as Keyserling himself might have done.

Klaus Modick’s novel could well serve as an invitation to explore the classic writer’s own works. In Estonian, Keyserling’s books “Twilight”, “Waves”, “Sultry Days”, and “The Man of God” have been published.

Klaus Modick’s essay “The Void: On the Way to Eduard von Keyserling” was published in 2020 in the April issue of Akadeemia, translated by Anne Arold. In August 2024, Akadeemia also published an interview with the author conducted by Eve Pormeister.