Peter Filkins

Peter Filkins is the Richard B. Fisher Professor of Literature at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, specializing in Creative Writing, Modern Poetry, and Literary Translation. He holds an MFA from Columbia University and a BA from Williams College. His research focuses on writing poetry, translating German literature, and biographical studies of figures like H.G. Adler and Ingeborg Bachmann. He has taught since 1988 at Simon’s Rock and other institutions, including Bard College and Williams College.

His academic contributions include five poetry collections, translations of works by Ingeborg Bachmann and H.G. Adler, and the acclaimed biography H.G. Adler: A Life in Many Worlds (2019). His translations and original works explore themes of nature, cultural memory, and postwar literature. He has received prestigious awards such as the Guggenheim Fellowship (2022–2023) and two Fulbright grants.

Professor Filkins’ teaching spans Creative Writing, World Literature, and 20th-century poetry. His publications blend formal innovation with deep historical and ethical inquiry, reflecting his commitment to poetic rigor and cross-cultural understanding. Current projects include a biography of Ingeborg Bachmann and continued work on translation and literary criticism.

Awards highlight his contributions to poetry and translation, including the Sheila Motton Best Book Award (2012) and the Distinguished Translation Award from Austria (2007). His essays and reviews appear in leading journals such as The New Republic and Partisan Review.