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.
Most over-65s in Switzerland regularly use the internet
This content was published on
The digital divide is narrowing faster than expected in Switzerland. A study published on Wednesday reveals that nine out of ten over-65s use the internet.
Will Swiss president be forbidden from speaking English to counterparts?
This content was published on
Switzerland's president, Karin Keller-Sutter, should use one of the country's four national languages when communicating with international organisations, and not English, according to a motion that passed on Wednesday.
Canton Valais gives CHF10 million to Blatten after devastating landslide
This content was published on
Canton Valais is releasing CHF10 million ($12.1 million) in emergency funds for the mountain village of Blatten, which was wiped out by a devastating glacier collapse last week.
Elderly Swiss-Tunisian man held in prison in Tunisia
This content was published on
An 81-year-old Swiss-Tunisian dual national is being held in a Tunisian prison. The former manager of the UN refugee agency UNHCR was arrested a year ago, according to Amnesty International.
Major traffic jams expected in Switzerland for Whitsun weekend
This content was published on
Long traffic jams can be expected near the Gotthard Tunnel, the main north-south transalpine route in Switzerland, on Friday and Saturday afternoons due to the Whitsun holiday.
Swiss defence minister launches probe into alleged spy links with Russia
This content was published on
Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister has launched an investigation into the alleged disclosure of sensitive information by the cyber division of the Federal Intelligence Service to Russia.
PFAS-contaminated meat still sold in eastern Switzerland
This content was published on
Meat containing excessive levels of toxic PFAS "forever chemicals" produced by farms in canton St Gallen is still being sold.
Violations in Gaza by ‘both sides’ must be condemned, says Swiss minister
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has admitted that Israel is failing in its obligations by hindering humanitarian aid to Gaza.
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.