Erwin Mortier is a Flemish poet and writer. His work is characterized by a keen insight into the human psyche and social relationships. Mortier's style is often described as lyrical and introspective, frequently delving into themes of memory, identity, and transience. Readers appreciate his ability to evoke complex emotions and atmosphere with a delicate linguistic sensibility.
Exploring themes of protection and solace, this publication delves into De Bruyckere's recent artwork inspired by the angelic figure, conceived during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reflects on the emotional and psychological impacts of the crisis, showcasing how art can provide comfort and connection in times of loneliness.
While the Gods Were Sleeping is a novel about the magnitude and impact of the First World War, the recollections of which are recorded in the notebooks of the elderly Helena. The young Helena is sent to her uncle’s country house before the war, and from here she witnesses scenes of indescribable horror. But it is also where she meets Matthew again, a British Army photographer who she goes on to marry. This is a story not about spectacular events; rather, Mortier is concerned with writing about war, history and the past with great empathy and engagement, and with a mixture of melancholy, qualification and resignation.
One day, the author's mother no longer remembers the word for 'book'. This seemingly innocuous moment of distraction is the first sign of the slow disintegration of her mind. As Alzheimer's disease sets in and language increasingly escapes her, her son attempts to gather the fragments of what she has become, writing a moving, loving chronicle of the gradual descent into dementia of someone who 'no longer knows who she is, where she is or what will happen'.
This translation originally published: London: Harvill, 2003.
Shutterspeed first published in Dutch as Sluitertijd by Cossee in 2002--Title page verso.
This translation originally published: London: Harvill, 2001.