Attila József was one of the most famous Hungarian poets of the 20th century. Born to a poor family, he had a troubled childhood. He was expelled from university for his provocative poem Tiszta szívvel: this event is mentioned in another one of his poems, Születésnapomra. He was a profilic poet who also wrote prose and translated the works of many authors, most notably Arthur Rimbaud and François Villon. (If you would like to read more Hungarian poetry, we recommend the English translations published in the Babel Web Anthology.)
Ever since his childhood, Attila József showed signs of mental illness and attempted to commit suicide several times. It is believed that he was suffering from borderline personality disorder. He died at the railway station of Balatonszárszó, aged just 32. Although some claim that his death was an accident, the most accepted view is that he committed suicide.