The Essays of Lukas Bärfuss are an event. Sharply observed, sharply thought out, sharply formulated.
Whether he addresses broad historical and political topics or specific questions relating to the lives of ordinary people, Lukas Bärfuss is an author and thinker of European format. He communicates complex facts in a way that enables the reader to follow his sharp-witted arguments; one almost feels included in his thought processes. One experiences surprise and wonderment, joy and personal enrichment. Whether he writes about Switzerland or his experiences in Africa and South America, whether he muses on the work of authors from Goethe, Nietzsche and Tolstoy to Nicolas Born or Ovid, Stendhal and Sakurai, there is always an element of enlightenment. Bärfuss writes about religion and belief, morality in journalism and the life of a sales representative for decalcifying equipment. It turns out that it is not about the importance of the individual question – the author continually draws our attention to the bigger picture, ethical dimensions. He is careful never to draw premature conclusions – sometimes the precise description of a dilemma is all that is required. Joy and necessity sometimes lie close together, but sometimes they are worlds apart..
Lukas Bärfuss, born in 1971 in Thun / Switzerland, dramatist and novelist, essayist. His plays are performed all over the world, his novels have been translated into more than twenty languages. Lukas Bärfuss lives in Zurich.
· Numerous awards, including most recently:
· Berlin Literature Prize (2013),
· Solothurn Literature Prize (2014),
· Swiss Book Prize (2014),
· Nicolas Born Prize (2015).
· He was nominated for the Leipzig Book Fair Prize 2017 with »Hagard«