Artist in Residence: Jonas Lüscher

1st to 2nd of April, 2025

Jonas Lüscher was born in Switzerland in 1976 and lives in Munich. His novella Frühling der Barbaren was a bestseller, earning him a spot on the longlist for the German Book Prize and a nomination for the Swiss Book Prize, which he later won for his novel Kraft.

During his residency at SQUARE, he will explore the relationship between literature and economics and present his new novel, Verzauberte Vorbestimmung

Publisher

Frühling der Barbaren

The protagonist of this intricately crafted debut novella by Jonas Lüscher, Swiss factory heir Preising, witnesses elaborate wedding preparations while on a business trip to an upscale oasis resort in Tunisia.

Kraft

Richard Kraft, an unhappy rhetoric professor from Tübingen, sees a chance for financial salvation: His old friend István invites him to Silicon Valley to compete for a million-dollar prize. In an 18-minute lecture, he must explain why everything is good – and yet can still be improved.

Reading and Discussion: Verzauberte Vorbestimmung

An event by the Literaturhaus St. Gallen in collaboration with SQUARE at the University of St. Gallen

An Algerian soldier is caught in the first German gas attack, decides that someone must put an end to it, stands up, and walks away. In the Cairo of the future, a stand-up comedian watches an android laugh at her jokes. A Bohemian weaver is replaced by an automated loom, grabs a hammer, and attacks the machine. What do we, the people of capitalism, dream of? And what do our increasingly rebellious machines dream of?

In the unique mirror world of this novel, no conflict is truly over, and every story remains possible. With intelligence and madness, humor and sharpness, Jonas Lüscher tells a story at the peak of his craft—about a present that longs to know more about its future (Hanser Verlag 2025).

Tickets available at literaturhauswyborada.ch

 

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