Hansjörg Schertenleib in the SLA

With more than thirty published books to his name, Hansjörg Schertenleib has been among Switzerland’s most prolific and successful German-language authors since the 1980s. He spent much of his writing life in Ireland, the US and France, opening up new experiences and geographies for Swiss literature while also developing a keen eye for the realities of his home country.

Hansjörg Schertenleib, circa 1989
© Yvonne Böhler

Hansjörg Schertenleib, born in Zurich in 1957, completed an apprenticeship as a typesetter and typographer. After publishing poetry and conducting experiments in which he combined his profession with his first attempts at writing, he made a name for himself with a volume of stories entitled “Grip” in 1982. He lived abroad for long periods of time, spending 20 years mostly in Ireland (Donegal) and then later in the US state of Maine. Since 2020 he has lived near Autun in the French region of Burgundy. While primarily known for writing prose, Schertenleib has also penned poetry, theatre pieces and audio plays. His most successful work was the novel “Das Zimmer der Signora”, published in 1996. His literary output is characterised by precise, sober and sensitive language and constant shifts between tone and milieu. 

Schertenleib has received numerous literary awards, including the Conrad-Ferdinand Meyer-Preis (1983), prizes from the Schweizerische Schillerstiftung (1988/1996) and the Kranichsteiner Literaturpreis (1995). More recently, he was invited to serve as a writer-in-residence in Cape Town (2007) and Boston (2009). His works have been translated into Swiss German, French, English, Dutch, Bulgarian, Spanish, Portuguese, Gaelic, Czech, Armenian, Hebrew and Arabic. 

Hansjörg Schertenleib’s archive, which was acquired by the Swiss Literary Archive in 2022, contains his complete manuscripts since the publication of “Grip” – mostly typescript and computer printouts, with some with handwritten corrections. The archive also includes unpublished work for film (exposés, treatments) and six handwritten notebooks with collages from 1995 to 2015. Systematically filed correspondence follows and documents the creation and development of his works. This chronologically organised collection also includes contracts, reading programmes and award certificates. The collection also includes extensive documentation of Schertenleib’s works with author’s copies, reviews, posters, CDs, videos of performances, photos and readings in the media. In addition, there are personal documents such as passports, ID cards and certificates as well as dedication copies and small gifts from other authors, as well as an old Olivetti Lettera 32 travel typewriter.  

“Auf dem Weg ins Schweizerische Literaturarchiv” (The journey to the Swiss Literary Archives)Hansjörg Schertenleib talks with Lucas Gisi (30 March 2024). Language: German.[[Link auf Audiodatei einfügen]]

“Auf dem Weg ins Schweizerische Literaturarchiv” (The journey to the Swiss Literary Archives)

Hansjörg Schertenleib talks with Lucas Gisi (30 March 2024). Language: German.

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Last modification 12.08.2024