Mark Braet in translation

Mark Braet (1925–2003) is considered one of Flanders' most socially engaged poets. His oeuvre, consisting of seventeen poetry collections, is characterised by a distinctly personal style in which symbols and metaphors play a central role. He gradually freed himself from literary conventions and developed a style of poetry that became increasingly universal, but in which resistance to injustice and social inequality remained a constant theme. Braet did not align himself with any literary movement; he consistently followed his own path.

His work appears in numerous magazines and is translated in Moscow, Leningrad, East Berlin, France, Hungary, Greece and Bulgaria, among other places. In 1967, he publishes the essay Ik leg mijn hand op Spanje (I Lay My Hand on Spain), an anthology of Spanish poetry with an emphasis on the period of the civil war (1936–1939).

He received various prizes and awards for his literary work. Braet was not only a poet, but also an organiser and inspirer. In 1971, he co-founded the Masereel Fund, and in 1978, Masereel Fund Publishing, which was the first to publish Pablo Neruda's Canto General in the Dutch-speaking world.

In 1985, he established the Pablo Neruda Fund. He was also involved in the founding of various literary magazines, including Kruispunt, and actively participated in national and international cultural events. He regularly provided introductions to exhibitions and publications and gave lectures on Federico García Lorca, Pablo Neruda, Bertolt Brecht, Antonio Machado and the Spanish Civil War.

As a translator, he translates poetry from German, Spanish and French into Dutch. His fascination with Pablo Neruda leads to translations of excerpts from the Canto General and to a detailed essay in 1974. Shortly before his death, he organises a large-scale commemoration for the Chilean Nobel Prize winner.

Mark Braet describes himself as a true pragmatist. His personality is characterised by exceptional human values and an open, positive attitude. His versatile, open mind cannot be reduced to a single label. Deeply involved in social issues, his life is dominated by cross-border political and socio-cultural engagement, always in close connection with literature. A born storyteller, he leaves a lasting impression on many.

The loss of his mother at the age of twelve left a lasting mark on him. During the Second World War, after his brother's arrest, he joined the communist resistance as a young man. After Stalin's death, he resolutely turned against rigidity and dogmatism, striving for a critical, open mind. In doing so, he remained faithful to the idealistic and humane values that Marxism had instilled in him.