Everything I Possess I Carry With Me
Encyclopedia
Everything I Possess I Carry With Me is a novel by German Nobel Prize-winning
author Herta Müller
, published in 2009
by Carl Hanser Verlag
.
It is a depiction of the persecution of ethnic Germans in Romania
by the Stalin
ist regime of the Soviet Union
, and deals with the deportation of Romanian Germans
to the Soviet Union for forced labour by Soviet occupying forces
during and after 1945.
The novel tells the story of a youth from Hermannstadt
(Sibiu) in Siebenbürgen
(Transylvania), Leo Auberg, who is deported at the age of 17 to a Soviet forced labor concentration camp in Nowo-Gorlowka (Novogorlovka, Ukraine
, now incorporated in Gorlovka) and spends five years of his life there. It is inspired by the experiences of poet Oskar Pastior
and other survivors, including the mother of the author. Initially, Pastior and Müller had planned to write a book about his experiences together, however, Pastior died in 2006.
The German title, a compound word coined by the author, invokes the back and forth of breathing, while the English title represents the opening sentence
of the book, which is the translation of the Latin phrase Omnia mea mecum porto.
The novel was nominated for the prestigious German Book Prize
in 2009, and the author received the Nobel Prize in Literature
the same year. Translation rights have been sold in several countries including Poland and Sweden.
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
author Herta Müller
Herta Müller
Herta Müller is a Romanian-born German novelist, poet and essayist noted for her works depicting the effects of violence, cruelty and terror, usually in the setting of Communist Romania under the repressive Nicolae Ceauşescu regime which she experienced herself...
, published in 2009
2009 in literature
The year 2009 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*8 October - Romanian-born German novelist Herta Müller wins the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature....
by Carl Hanser Verlag
Carl Hanser Verlag
Carl Hanser Verlag is a German publishing house, established in 1928 by Carl Hanser in Munich. Among the authors he published are Herta Müller, Martin Mosebach, Reinhard Jirgl, and David Grossman....
.
It is a depiction of the persecution of ethnic Germans in Romania
Germans of Romania
The Germans of Romania or Rumäniendeutsche were 760,000 strong in 1930. They are not a single group; thus, to understand their language, culture, and history, one must view them as independent groups:...
by the Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
ist regime of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and deals with the deportation of Romanian Germans
Forced labor of Germans in the Soviet Union
Forced labor of Germans in the Soviet Union was considered by the Soviet Union to be part of German war reparations for the damage inflicted by Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union during World War II. German civilians in Eastern Europe were deported to the USSR after World War II as forced laborers...
to the Soviet Union for forced labour by Soviet occupying forces
Soviet occupation of Romania
The Soviet occupation of Romania refers to the period from 1944 to August 1958, during which the Soviet Union maintained a significant military presence in Romania...
during and after 1945.
The novel tells the story of a youth from Hermannstadt
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
(Sibiu) in Siebenbürgen
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
(Transylvania), Leo Auberg, who is deported at the age of 17 to a Soviet forced labor concentration camp in Nowo-Gorlowka (Novogorlovka, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, now incorporated in Gorlovka) and spends five years of his life there. It is inspired by the experiences of poet Oskar Pastior
Oskar Pastior
Oskar Pastior was a Romanian-born German poet and translator. He was the only German member of Oulipo....
and other survivors, including the mother of the author. Initially, Pastior and Müller had planned to write a book about his experiences together, however, Pastior died in 2006.
The German title, a compound word coined by the author, invokes the back and forth of breathing, while the English title represents the opening sentence
Opening sentence
At the beginning of a written work stands the opening sentence. Considered "most important", the opening sentence needs to entice the reader and sets the subject, the tone and possibly the style for the whole work, although this does not have to be obvious. David Lodge describes the opening...
of the book, which is the translation of the Latin phrase Omnia mea mecum porto.
The novel was nominated for the prestigious German Book Prize
German Book Prize
The German Book Prize is awarded annually by the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, to the best German language novel of the year. The winner is awarded € 25,000, the five shortlisted authors receive € 2,500 each...
in 2009, and the author received the Nobel Prize in Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
the same year. Translation rights have been sold in several countries including Poland and Sweden.
External links
- "Everything I Own I Carry with Me", excerpt from the novel. September 2009