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Peter Rosei

ペーター・ローゼイ

Pētā Rōzei

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1946-06-17 （Vienna, Austria）
Nationality
Austrian
Languages
German
Residence History
Vienna (birthplace, long-term residence) → Nagoya (guest professor) → Oberlin College (guest writer, USA) → Bowling Green State University (guest writer, USA) → University of New Mexico at Taos (guest writer, USA)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Writer, Screenwriter, Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Children's author
Active Years
1972-
Affiliations
Oberlin College (guest writer), Bowling Green State University (guest writer), University of New Mexico at Taos (guest writer), University of Nagoya (guest professor)
Influenced By
Ernst Fuchs (painter, former employer/mentor)

Education

University of Vienna
Faculty of Law / Department of Law
Degree: 博士（法学）
Year of Graduation: 1968
Country: Austria
Obtained a doctorate in law in 1968.

Awards

Rauris Literature Prize
1973
Result: 受賞
Literature Prize of the Cultural Fund of the City of Salzburg
1980
Result: 受賞
Elias Canetti Scholarship (Vienna)
1986
Result: 奨学金受給
Literature Prize of Salzburg
1987
Result: 受賞
Austrian Prize for Literature
1991
Result: 受賞
Franz Kafka Prize of the City of Klosterneuburg
1993
Result: 受賞
Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art
1996
Organization: Republic of Austria
Result: 受章
Literature Prize of Vienna
1997
Result: 受賞
Anton Wildgans Prize
1999
Result: 受賞
Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class
2006
Organization: Republic of Austria
Result: 受章

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Wer war Edgar Allan? (Who Was Edgar Allan?)

1977 Novel

Rosei's breakthrough novel published in 1977. Through the protagonist's inquiry it examines the limits of knowledge and the discrepancy between thought and action. It was adapted into a film in 1984 by Michael Haneke, with a screenplay by Rosei.

limits of knowledgediscrepancy between thought and actionsearch for identitysocial critique
Adaptations
  • [Film] Wer war Edgar Allan? (film) / Michael Haneke (1984)

Von hier nach dort (From Here to There)

1978 Novel

Published in 1978, this work centers on movement and change, portraying individual inner life and relationships.

movementchangeinner life
Translations
  • English translation 'From Here to There' translated by Kathleen Thorpe (1991), Ariadne Press

Das schnelle Glück (Try Your Luck)

1980 Novel

A work dealing with luck, chance, and personal choice, portraying the uncertainties of modern life.

luckchancechoice
Translations
  • English translation 'Try Your Luck' translated by Kathleen Thorpe (1994), Ariadne Press

Die Milchstraße (The Milky Way)

1981 Novel

Published in 1981, one of Rosei's works that demonstrates his style: poetically and calmly depicting the relation between individual and society.

citylonelinessmemory

Das 15 000-Seelen-Projekt (The 15,000 Souls Project)

1984 Novel cycle

A six-part novel cycle published between 1984 and 1988. It grandly depicts the interactions of city, community, and individuals.

communitycitycollective memory

Rebus

1990 Novel

Published in 1990, as the title suggests it deals with puzzles and fragmented elements, prompting reader interpretation.

mysteryfragmentationinterpretation

Persona

1995 Novel

Published in 1995, a work dealing with identity and the question of the 'persona'.

identitymaskself and other

Wien Metropolis (Metropolis Vienna)

2005 Novel

A panoramic novel of postwar Vienna. It extensively depicts the city's transformations and the memories of its inhabitants.

postwar Viennaurban memoryhistory and individuals
Translations
  • English translation 'Metropolis Vienna' translated by Geoffrey C. Howes (2009), Green Integer

Bibliography

  • Wer war Edgar Allan? (1977)
  • Von hier nach dort (1978)
  • Das schnelle Glück (1980)
  • Die Milchstraße (1981)
  • Das 15 000-Seelen-Projekt (1984–1988)
  • Rebus (1990)
  • Persona (1995)
  • Wien Metropolis (2005)

Adaptations

  • Film adaptation of 'Wer war Edgar Allan?' directed by Michael Haneke (1984), screenplay by Peter Rosei

Translations of Works

  • Von hier nach dort → English 'From Here to There' (translated by Kathleen Thorpe, 1991)
  • Das schnelle Glück → English 'Try Your Luck' (translated by Kathleen Thorpe, 1994)
  • Ruthless and Other Writings → English collection (translated by Geoffrey C. Howes, 2003)
  • Wien Metropolis → English 'Metropolis Vienna' (translated by Geoffrey C. Howes, 2009)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
calm, analytical proseironic and sardonic tonesometimes fragmentary and experimental structures
Recurring Motifs
the cityidentitymemorygap between knowledge and actionalienation

Legacy

Rosei is an important figure in contemporary Austrian literature, known for sharply depicting social disjunctions and individual interiority. He has received numerous domestic awards, his works have been translated into multiple languages including English, and one of his novels was adapted into a film.

In Popular Culture

  • The novel 'Wer war Edgar Allan?' was adapted into a film by Michael Haneke, bringing wider attention to the work.

Trivia

  • Earned a doctorate in law from the University of Vienna (1968).
  • Worked as the personal assistant to painter Ernst Fuchs in his early career.
  • Became a freelance writer in 1972.
  • Wer war Edgar Allan? was adapted into a film in 1984 by Michael Haneke, with a screenplay by Rosei.
  • Several works have been translated into English and published by presses such as Ariadne Press and Green Integer.