Aljaž Koprivnikar

Aljaž Koprivnikar (1987, Slovenia) is a poet, critic, translator, editor and literary organiser. His poetry has appeared internationally and been translated into several languages. His debut collection, “Anatomy” (2019), was published in Greece, Slovenia and Honduras, followed by two German publications in 2023, including “Kleine Anatomie: Gedichte” (A. Dielmann Verlag). A Czech translation is forthcoming. He is preparing his second collection, (De)composition, to be published by the Centre for Slovenian Literature. He is vice-president of the Slovenian Literary Critics Association, represents PEN Slovenia’s Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee, and directs Fabula Festival, Versopolis and ThinkPub. He regularly collaborates with Berlin’s literary scene, including Lettretage, serves as programme director of Prague Microfestival and participates in various literary initiatives across Europe.  

During his stay at the MQ, Aljaž Koprivnikar will focus on completing his second poetry collection, “(De)compositions”, to be published by the Centre for Slovenian Literature. The collection explores the disintegration of the self, society and language, asking whether the processes of breaking apart also contain the beginnings of a new composition. Its poems engage with war, death, intimate violence, loss and anxiety, following a lyrical subject through ruptures in meaning, inner transformation and the limits of expression. The tension between dissolution and renewal runs through the work, as language attempts to give form to experiences that threaten to undo it. The residency will provide time to write new poems and revise the manuscript, while distance from familiar surroundings opens the work to other perspectives. During his stay in Vienna, Koprivnikar will also engage with the local literary scene and exchange ideas with fellow residents about their artistic practices.