Under a Pannonian Sky: Ten Women Poets from Hungary

A ground-breaking anthology showcasing the voices of ten remarkable Hungarian women poets for English-language readers.

Under a Pannonian Sky is a landmark anthology that brings the voices of ten extraordinary Hungarian women poets to English readers. Edited by award-winning translator Ottilie Mulzet, this collection spans generations, offering a rare glimpse into the rich and complex world of Hungarian poetry. The anthology features renowned poets like Ágnes Nemes Nagy and Zsuzsa Rakovszky, whose works have been celebrated internationally, alongside voices such as Gizella Hervay and Magda Székely, who are introduced in-depth to English readers for the first time. Through original and lyrical language, these poets chronicle the traumas of World War II, the Hungarian Holocaust, and the societal upheavals of the 1989 regime change, exploring themes of identity and resilience. Their poems reflect deeply personal confrontations with their roles as citizens, daughters, mothers, and witnesses to turbulent and often disorienting historical epochs.

Under a Pannonian Sky is an essential collection for readers seeking to discover the richness of Hungarian poetry and its profound engagement with the personal and political landscapes of the twentieth century and beyond.

Ottilie Mulzet has translated over eighteen volumes of Hungarian poetry and prose from contemporary authors such as Gábor Schein, László Földényi, Krisztina Tóth, and many others. Her translation of László Krasznahorkai’s Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming was awarded the National Book Award in Translated Literature in 2019.