New hand made Sea Urchin pamphlet:
Dimitrie Stelaru – The Magical Tree
Sea Urchin has just published another English translation of a poem by Romanian Dimitrie Stelaru (1917-1971). Stelaru’s poem Copacul magic (The Magical Tree) was first published in the literary magazine Preocupări literare in 1942 and included in Stelaru’s landmark compilation Ora fantastică (The Fantastic Hour) two years later. In his preface The Planet of a new Poet to that compilation, the influential Romanian critic Eugen Lovinescu hailed Stelaru as a visionary poet who manages to transform everyday existence into a highly individual mythology. The Magical Tree is a fine example of Stelaru’s intoxicated powers of imagination. In condensed lines the poet paints a solitary tree rooted in generous soil and vibrant with ‘demons and stunned birds’ against a dusking sky. Sea Urchin published Stelaru’s dreamlike poem as a limited edition pamphlet in April 2026, its cover of Mexican Amate paper (made from the bark of wild fig trees) and flyleaf of Thai Unryu paper (made from mulberry trees) in line with the theme of the poem. Edition of 15 hand made copies. English translation, artwork and design: Ben Schot.