The Curse

By Janko Polić Kamov and Martin Mayhew

The Croatian writer Janko Polić Kamov died in Barcelona in 1910 aged 23. He left behind a small but potent collection of short stories, plays, poems and one novel which have been labelled as proto-modernist, avant-garde, absurdist, existentialist, futurist and even surrealist in nature. Most of his work didn't see the light of day until long after his death. He has been compared to Camus, Kafka and Joyce. This is a collection of his poems which was published in 1907 under the title of 'Psovka' ('The Curse'), a collection of aphorisms published in Italy after his death plus two essays painstakingly translated by Martin Mayhew from Croatian into English in the hope that his work is appreciated outside of his native country and in doing so also creating a unique glossary of Kamov's vocabulary. Many of the themes in Kamov's writings would reflect his real-life experiences and are written in the first person or as his alter ego. During his short life, he struggled to be accepted and published as a professional poet, dramatist and novelist. He is considered to be a highly original writer for the period, despising bourgeois hypocrisy, injustice, ridiculing the social norms and niceties of the day. His work also deals with the darker side of the human psyche, madness, violence, sexual excess, alcohol, religious duality, the class system, poverty and the overall human condition. This book has been produced in the hope of funding for the translation of more of this outstanding author's work.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Martin Mayhew
• Release date: Apr 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781912924967

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About Janko Polić Kamov

Janko Polić (1886 – 1910) was born in Sušak today part of the Croatian city of Rijeka. He was brought up in a large well-to-do family which eventually faced hard times and the premature deaths of his siblings and parents, affecting him deeply. He was well-educated and soon began to rebel against the norms, society and political system of the day. In this period Croatia was governed by Austro-Hungary. He became increasingly rebellious, even spending a short time in prison because of his political views. After a troubled childhood, disillusionment with school, part-time jobs and theatrical performances, he found solace in literature and soon began writing himself. In 1905 he wrote his first stories and began travelling to the inspirational literary cities of the day. During this period he gave himself the pseudonym of ‘Kamov’ – after the Old Testament character of ‘Ham.’ Ham was one of Noah’s sons who had seen his father naked after a drinking spree. Many of the themes in Kamov’s writings would reflect his real-life experiences and are written in the first person or as his alter ego.

Kamov’s work, the dramas, poems, farces, novellas are seen as a precursor of Croatian modernism, existentialism, avant-garde, absurdism and surrealism, at a time when these genres were only just emerging globally. During his short life he struggled to be accepted and published as a professional poet, dramatist and novelist. He was an original pavement writer, despising bourgeois hypocrisy, injustice, ridiculing the social norms and niceties of the day. His work also deals with the darker side of the human psyche, madness, violence, sexual excess, alcohol, religious duality, the class system, poverty and the overall human condition.

Unfortunately, Kamov was not properly recognised for his contribution to literature until many years after his death in Barcelona from an unspecified abdominal infection at the age of only 23. He was impoverished, hungry but seemingly resigned to his fate. His one and only novel Isušena kaljuža (The Dried-Out Mire) was finally published in 1953, long after his death and its surreal expressionist narrative, psychosexually, spiritually conflicted stream of consciousness is considered by many to be one of Croatian literature’s best writings.

This is a collection of poems which he wrote in 1905 when he was just 18 years old, and it was published in 1907 under the title Psovka