Franco-Swiss author and graphic artist Frédéric Pajak has been awarded this year’s Swiss Grand Prix for Literature for his life’s work.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/ts
Pajak, 65, has edited and contributed to cultural and satirical periodicals and is the editor of the biannual journal Les Cahiers dessinés, devoted to graphic work ranging from cartoons to the drawings of old masters.
Frédéric Pajak
Keystone / Kpinl Kpapa
However, he is best known for a long series of books which present his own full-page drawings accompanied by a sort of biographical and autobiographical narrative. The first of these was L’Immense solitude (1999), which won the Prix Michel-Dentan, a Swiss literary award, in 2000. He followed this with a similarly structured work, Le Chagrin d’amour (Broken Hearts).
“Frédéric Pajak writes, paints, draws and publishes,” the Federal Office of Culture said in a statementExternal link on Thursday.
It said the highlight of his work so far was the “lavish” Manifeste incertain (Uncertain manifesto), “an endless book that, after nine volumes and several thousand pages and images, has finally nevertheless found a conclusion”.
Pajak started the work in 2012 and finished it last year. An English translationExternal link of the first volume was published in 2019.
‘Utterly original’
The New York Review of Books said the “utterly original book […] is a memoir born of reading and a meditation on the lives and ideas, the motivations, feelings, and fates of some of Pajak’s heroes: Samuel Beckett and the artist Bram van Velde, and, especially, Walter Benjamin”.
Another drawing from ‘Uncertain manifesto’, featuring German philosopher Walter Benjamin (centre)
Frédéric Pajak / Edition Clandestin
It added that Pajak’s “moody black-and-white drawings accompany the text throughout, though their bearing on it is often indirect and all the more absorbing for that”.
The Swiss Grand Prix for Literature is worth CHF40,000 ($45,000) and is set to be handed over at the Solothurn Literature Festival on May 12.
More
More
Sibylle Berg wins Switzerland’s top literary prize
This content was published on
The Zurich-based writer Sibylle Berg has been awarded this year’s Swiss Grand Prix Literature for her life’s work.
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
The global impact of Dürrenmatt’s ‘The Visit’
This content was published on
On the centenary of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s birth, SWI swissinfo.ch examines the global appeal of the Swiss dramatist's 1956 play ‘The Visit’.
John le Carré’s life in Bern: spy recruitment and elephant washing
This content was published on
The Swiss capital not only played an important role in his education but was also the setting for several scenes in his books.
Young author beats out favourites to win Swiss Book Prize
This content was published on
Anna Stern has been awarded the 2020 Swiss Book Prize for her novel about coming to terms with the death of a close friend.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.