Hänny, 75, from Tschappina in canton Graubünden is best known for his novels Sturz (2020), Blooms Schatten (2014), Helldunkel. Ein Bilderbuch (1994), Flug (1985), Zurich, Anfang September (1980) and Ruch. Ein Bericht (1979).
His work draws inspiration from his childhood in the Graubünden mountains, growing up in Chur, the cantonal capital, and the Zurich riots of the 1980s along with their supression by police.
“His books deal with these themes, not chronologically or autobiographically, but through associations of ideas, snippets of memories and dreams, inventions and above all through pastiche, in which he appropriates world literature,” the Federal Office of Culture said in a statementExternal link on Thursday.
The culture office’s special prize for translation this year went to Maurizia Balmelli. The translator, who grew up on Lake Maggiore in southern Switzerland, has translated many works into Italian from French and English.
These include books by Martin Amis, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Emmanuel Carrère, Marie Darrieussecq, Jean Echenoz, Mary Gaitskill, Aleksandar Hemon, Ágota Kristóf, JMG Le Clézio, Ian McEwan, Cormac McCarthy, Noëlle Revaz, Yasmina Reza, Sally Rooney, Miriam Toews and Fred Vargas.
She has built “solid bridges between literatures, devoting a constant and valuable commitment to teaching and training”, said the culture office.
The Swiss Grand Prix for Literature and Special Prize for Translation are each worth CHF40,000 ($45,000) and are set to be handed over on May 25 ahead of the Solothurn Literature Festival.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Politics
Swiss reject plans for bigger motorways and extra rights for landlords
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland demands immediate halt to hostilities in Syria
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry has called for an immediate end to hostilities in Syria. International humanitarian law must be respected, it declared via the social media platform X on Tuesday.
Poll: right-wing Swiss People’s Party enjoys growing support among population
This content was published on
If national elections had been held in Switzerland last month, the right-wing Swiss People's Party would have won, and increased its share of votes by 2% compared to the 2023 federal elections.
This content was published on
Swiss Black Friday revenues failed to live up to retail expectations. But sales throughout the week proved more successful.
This content was published on
The Swiss army will have CH 530 million more than expected for armaments investments after a parliamentary chamber approved the increase.
This content was published on
Swiss citizens could have access to an e-ID from 2026 as parliament has agreed to the idea in principle despite still having to iron out some minor issues.
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
Frédéric Pajak wins top Swiss literature prize
This content was published on
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
Among his best known works are the play Top Dogs and the short novel Der blaue Siphon (The Blue Siphon Bottle). Widmer is considered one of the most successful Swiss authors of the generation following Friedrich Dürrenmatt und Max Frisch. He published about 80 novels, short stories, plays and essays. Widmer’s literary career began in 1968…
This content was published on
This week Jenny launches her sixth novel, The Sky is Changing, which is also her first book written in English. Speaking to swissinfo.ch, the author described the book – set in London – as a documentary of the city following the 2005 terrorist attacks. Her prose has been praised for its detailed and precise images…
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.