Michael Jarvie
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michaeljarvie.bsky.social
Michael Jarvie
@michaeljarvie.bsky.social
Samizdat novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, poet, editor.Translator of Georg Trakl and Gerhart Hauptmann. Working Class. Marxist. Atheist. Coming in 2026 Transformer: Writing the Black Country by Zero Books. Despised by New Writing North.
Pinned
For info. These are the total earnings for my book Autumnal Elegies since it was published in 2019.
#poetry #trakl #indie
Today’s poem for Remembrance Day is by Georg Trakl.
German military losses in World War One amounted to 2 million dead.
#poetry #war #germany #translation #trakl
November 9, 2025 at 11:21 AM
I can now confirm that my essay about the Black Country entitled “From Dusseldorf to Dudley (via Darlington)” is scheduled for publication in May/June 2026 by Zero Books.
The title of the volume containing my essay is “Transformer: Writing the Black Country”.
#booksky #writing
October 28, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Today’s Trakl poem. His last.
My translation naturally.
#poetry #booksky #translation
October 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Shortlisted this time.
October 24, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Ten perfect years of submitting my work for no reward.
I really must keep it up.
October 20, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Imagine sending this gibberish to an author.
October 20, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Put a filter on my incoming emails. The words “book trailer“ mean automatic deletion.
Let’s see if this works.
October 19, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Another autumn poem by Georg Trakl.
My translation of course from Autumnal Elegies.
#trakl #poetry #booksky
October 19, 2025 at 2:50 PM
As I near 800 followers allow me to introduce myself. I’m a working-class writer/translator, the author of six self-published books.
My work is however despised by the middle-class gatekeepers who control UK publishing.
An essay I wrote about the Black Country is due to be published by Zero Books.
October 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Some writing news.
I was long listed by the Bridport Prize.
#writing #booksky
October 18, 2025 at 2:55 PM
linktr.ee/michaelkjarvie Just a reminder where you can find me.
I’m poor and working class so as a self published author that means I can’t afford a website. So I do the best I can with free resources.
michaelkjarvie | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
Working-class writer. Author of six books - The Prison, Black Art, Autumnal Elegies, Into the Silence, Sonata Form, and Thiel the Level-Crossing Keeper. Athe...
linktr.ee
October 16, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Today’s Trakl poem.
My translation of course.
#trakl #poetry #booksky #translation
October 15, 2025 at 11:28 PM
One of my earliest videos, a pitch for my Trakl translation Autumnal Elegies.
As it turned out, Unbound weren’t interested in my book. Because I’m working class, they implied I wouldn’t be able to raise the finance, so I self-published instead.
I still have the t shirt.

youtu.be/-lYEcRNR2uA?...
Unbound
YouTube video by Michael Jarvie
youtu.be
October 14, 2025 at 5:45 PM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpp7... I’ve recorded a new video about my novel in progress The Sharp Judge.
#writing #booksky #germany #hitler
The Sharp Judge: a novel in progress
YouTube video by Michael Jarvie
www.youtube.com
October 12, 2025 at 12:46 PM
The Nobel Prize for Literature no less.
October 9, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Latest total: 28,159 words.
The Sharp Judge forging ahead.
#booksky
October 7, 2025 at 6:15 PM
More new material. This time it’s book burning. Soon be burning people.
From my work in progress The Sharp Judge.
The gatekeepers won’t like it but maybe you will.
#reading #writing #dusseldorf #booksky
October 6, 2025 at 10:24 PM
I’m on a roll (forgive the terrible pun).
I’ve drafted another chapter for The Sharp Judge with even more lovely baked goodies on display.
#writing #indie #germany
October 5, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Wonderful.
#OtD 5 Oct 1789 thousands of women in Paris, angry over the high price and scarcity of bread, ransacked the city armoury for weapons and besieged the Palace of Versailles in one of the opening salvos of the French revolution shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/...
October 5, 2025 at 8:04 AM
63 sales so far this month. 625 in total.
Not bad for an unknown working class translator.
#poetry #translation
October 4, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Back to school with my current work in progress The Sharp Judge.
#weimar #literature #dusseldorf
October 3, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Cologne cathedral is mentioned in my work in progress.
You wonder how those twin spires survived all the bombing.
Almost miraculous you might say given that the building was hit 14 times.
#writing #Cologne #war
October 1, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Always nice to be in good company with the masters.
#poetry #indie #translation
September 30, 2025 at 6:33 PM
September 26, 2025 at 6:08 PM