Paul van Ostaijen
Belgium (1896—1928)Born in Antwerp, Paul van Ostaijen worked as a clerk for the municipality while publishing poetry in local newspapers and magazines. His first collection, Music-Hall, appeared in 1916 and reflects the influence of German Expressionism. In 1918 he moved to Berlin, where he developed a more radical visual and typographic approach to poetry, culminating in Bezette Stad (1921), created in collaboration with Oscar Jespers for its graphic design. After returning to Belgium he refined his own poetic system, writing essays and prose and producing several translations, including early versions of Franz Kafka’s work.
