Waiting on the Counter-Slope

Famous for his plays and talks (and his whisky and cigars), Heiner Müller also wrote poetry over the course of his entire life. From socialist anthems and children’s songs in the 1950s to love poems and dedications, from ballads and sonnets to didactic and prose poems – this volume gathers together Müller’s entire poetic oeuvre for the first time, including the poems published during his lifetime and those that have appeared since, along with material from his literary remains, all presented in chronological order.

The book begins with the only collection that he published during his lifetime. This is followed by all the poems Müller published in anthologies and periodicals. Then there are numerous known and unknown poems and drafts from his literary remains. With additional, extensive critical commentary, Waiting on the Counter-Slope is intended to replace the poetry volume in Müller’s complete works.

»Heiner Müller became a legend as an agent provocateur of the theatre. Waiting on the Counter-Slope shows that he was a powerful poet.« Beate Tröger, der Freitag

»Müller’s poems, which we can read anew or for the first time in this volume, vividly remind us how much his voice is missing from the contemporary literary canon.« Michael Opitz, Deutschlandfunk

»For the first time, Heiner’s Müller’s entire poetic production is gathered together in one book, including numerous drafts from his literary remains. They show that Müller’s struggle to find a language that transcends historical illusions remains unmatched to this day.« Dirk Hohnsträter, WDR

»Heiner Müller wrote poetry over the entire course of his life. And the poems he wrote retain their vitality some 20 years after the death of this crucial German playwright.« Mitteldeutsche Zeitung