Urs Widmer

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The basics

Quick facts

Intro

Swiss writer

Gender:

Male

Places:

Switzerland

Is:

Writer Editor Critic Translator Playwright Literary editor Literary critic Journalist

Work field:

Film, TV, Stage & Radio Journalism Literature

Birth:

21 May 1938(Basel)

Death:

2 April 2014(Zürich)

Star sign:

Gemini

Family:

Father:

Walter Widmer

The details

Biography

Introduction

Urs Widmer (May 21, 1938 – April 2, 2014) was a Swiss novelist, playwright, an essayist and a short story writer.
Widmer was born in Basel in 1938, and for many years lived in Zurich. Widmer studied German, French and history at the universities of Basel and Montpellier. After completing his PhD, he worked briefly as an editor at Suhrkamp Verlag, but left the publishing house during the Lektoren-Aufstand (‘Editors’ Revolt’) of 1968.
In 2014, Roman Bucheli, Literary Editor of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, said that Widmer:
"is without doubt one of the most significant and versatile talents currently at work in the field of contemporary German-language literature as well as one of the most successful. His sales are invariably in the high five-figure bracket"
^ a b c d e Roman Bucheli (Spring 2014). "Deviation From The Norm, or The Realistic Fantast". New Books in German. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
^ Roman Bucheli (3 April 2014). "Der Schriftsteller Urs Widmer gestorben". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved April 3, 2014.

Works in English translation

My mother's lover (Der Geliebte meiner Mutter). Tr. Donal McLaughlin, London, Seagull Books [2011], ISBN 9781906497965.
My father's book (Das Buch des Vaters). Tr. Donal McLaughlin, London, Seagull Books [2011], ISBN 9780857420176.
On life, death, and this and that of the rest. The Frankfurt lectures on poetics (Vom Leben, vom Tod und vom Übrigen auch dies und das). Tr. Donal McLaughlin, London, Seagull Books [2013], ISBN 9780857421005.
The blue soda siphon (Der blaue Siphon). Tr. Donal McLaughlin, London, Seagull Books [2014], ISBN 9780857422118.
In the Congo (Im Kongo). Tr. Donal McLaughlin, London, Seagull Books [2015], ISBN 9780857423153.
Mr Adamson (Herr Adamson). Tr. Donal McLaughlin, London, Seagull Books [2015], ISBN 9780857422323.

Awards and honors

1977 Hörspielpreis der Kriegsblinden, Fernsehabend
1992 Preis der SWR-Bestenliste
1997 Mülheimer Dramatikerpreis, Top Dogs
1998 Heimito von Doderer Prize
2001 Bertolt Brecht Literature Prize
2002 Großer Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der Schönen Künste
2013 Friedrich Hölderlin Prize

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Works in English translation

Awards and honors