Two-part sonnet workshop with Christa Schünke and Michael M. Janssen
Die gute Nachricht, ja es gibt sie noch
Die bessere? Sie lassen sich erlernen
Nach allen Regeln, aller Kunst, doch doch
Und ’langen dann – geglückt – rauf zu den Sternen
Mag gern die Rose, Rose sein, und Katz
Die Katze, noch mal mehr bei grauer Nacht
Doch niemals erstbest ein Gedicht vom Satz
Und Ansatz her ’Sonett‘ in voller Pracht
Wie jedem Fortgang eine Urgestalt
Ein Artefakt gegeben, drauf er fußt
Sind gegenüber aller Dichtung halt
Sonette Basis aller Ausgangs-Kunst
Doch weh, es wär nur einfach hingepatzt
Dann wär es – wie gesagt – bloß für die Katz
(Michael M. Janßen; 20.12.2025)
Dead, deader, deadest?
From Goethe, Robert Gernhardt and Johannes R. Becher right through to Shakespeare himself, it has been copied often, believed to be dead, declared even deader (and that – as always – in the very best sonnet form, of course): the sonnet lives on. And it lives up to its name (‘Klinggedicht’): it resonates. No other poetic form can hold a candle to it.
And as mentioned, its rules are strict, but precisely for that reason they are easy to learn.
Two-part sonnet workshop with Christa Schuenke and Michael M. Janßen
Saturday, May 9th and Saturday, May 16th 2026; 2.00–6.00 pm on both days
How to? Structure, logical composition, rhyme schemes, a bit of metre – in short, part one will focus on the basic technical know-how of writing sonnets. Using their own work as examples, the two facilitators will offer tips on how to give these magical 14 lines form, rhythm and sound.
On the second session, participants will then have the opportunity to present their own sonnets, written in the intervening period, to the group.
To be continued? As part of a third session, the date for which is yet to be confirmed, the poems created during the workshop could then be read aloud to a wider audience.
Recommended reading: "Fünfzig Sonette" (Reclam, ISBN: 978-3150182581, now only available second-hand).
Please register in advance by emailing mr.mi.janssen@web.de. A handout will be provided.
Donations welcome.
Christa Schuenke
Born on October 30, 1948 in Weimar.
1964 first own publications (poetry and journalistic work)
1967-1970 English/French studies, University of Leipzig
1972-1977 Studied philosophy at Berlin's Humboldt University, 1977 Dipl. phil. (corresponds to M.A,)
1970-1981 scientific and technical assistant at the Academy of Sciences of the GDR
From 1976 on a part-time job as an English-German literary translator
1981-2035 Self-employed literary translator English-German
Translation of 200 works by English-language authors, including William Shakespeare, John Donne, Jonathan Swift, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Edgar Allen Poe, Herman Melville, F. Scott Fitzgerald, A. A. Milne, William Butler Yeats and Agatha Christie, as well as numerous contemporary authors, including Marc Z. Danielewski, John Banville, Karen Ruoff and Tessa Hadoff Ley; also engaged in promoting young talent and in collegial training, e.g. from 1993-2003 as head of practical professional block seminars at the Literary Translation degree program at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and as leader of various seminars and workshops; also working as a lecturer, editor and author. Numerous lectures at universities in Germany and abroad, as well as for the German Shakespeare Society.
Prizes and Awards
1997 Christoph Martin Wieland Translation Prize, 2003 Straelen Translation Prize, as well as residency scholarships in Stuttgart and Calw, among others, as well as in Annaghmakerrig/Republic of Ireland, Norwich (UK) upstate New York, and several work grants from the German Translator Fund for works of particularly high difficulty level.
honorary posts
2001-2003 Member of the board of the VdÜ (Association of German-language translators of literary and scientific works) in the VS in ver.di; then sporadically active in various areas for the VdÜ.
2006-2013 Member of the Executive Committee of PEN Germany, from 2009-2013 as Vice President and Writers-in-Exile Representative. As part of this activity 2011-2016, founding, project management and moderation of the “Salon Exile” event series at the Lichtburg Forum in Berlin.
Michael Janßen
Born 1962 in Goslar, studied English in Canada in 1968, returned to Germany bilingually in 1970.
Has: Studied German, English and journalism in Göttingen.
Lived: from 1996 to 2021 in Budapest. Taught language lessons (German) there and has been writing the prose poem “Abschiednehmen mit Worten” since 1996
And Continues: Sonnet by sonnet, since 2021 in Berlin
Was: 2023 to 2024 honorary vice chairman of the Berlin Authors' Forum
Publications/Awards:
-From the long poem 'Abschiednehmen mit Worten', two chapters were awarded the Aurum Prize in 2021 and published in the anthology 'Fernwärme'.
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