“The Chalet and other Swiss Myths”
“The Chalet and other Swiss Myths” – Deconstructing the Myths about Switzerland in popular imagination
Additional visits to educational institutions
In addition to the plenary session Oliver will read the book and interact with students of foreign languages at the Delhi University, the Indraprastha College for Women and at the Jamia Milia Islamia University in New Delhi.
On the occasion of the FILLM Conference 2017 “The Familiar and the Exotic in Language and Literature: The Politics of Perception and Representation”, Swiss author Oliver Scharpf in conversation with Prof. Babli Moitra-Saraf will present a different perspective on the popular myths about Switzerland based on the latest book written by Scharpf – “The Chalet and Other Swiss Myths”.
The plenary session will be chaired by Prof. Radha Chakravorty.
Thursday 16 March 2017.
Time: 2.00 pm till 03.00 pm
Location: Multi-Purpose Hall, India International Centre, New Delhi
Entry: Open to all / View invite
The written word continues to play an important role in building up the image of a certain place and time. Literature books and their translation continue to be an effective tool to enhance understanding of cultures.
Oliver Scharpf (Swiss Italian contemporary writer and author of the book “Lo Chalet e altri miti svizzeri”) and his translator Prof. Babli Moitra Saraf, a Italian language expert, also Principal of the Indraprastha College for Women will address a plenary session of one hour, led by Prof. Moitra-Saraf and Oliver Scharpf. This session will give access to review and deconstruct the already existing image of Switzerland based on Oliver’s book, in which he deconstructs step by step the typical myths about Switzerland. He goes into history and tradition to unravel some new myths of Switzerland that are not so well associated with the country.
Oliver Scharpf is a contemporary young writer from the Italian speaking region of Switzerland, Ticino, also worked as collaborator for a few radio programs. He writes columns for the weekly newspaper Azione since 2007. He holds a diploma degree in script writing for theatre and studied art history at the University of Geneva. In addition to being associated with several artistic projects, he has published several books entailing poetry and prose. His book of poetry “Uppercuts” has also been translated in English. His book “Lo Chalet e altri miti svizzeri” (The Chalet and other Swiss myths) has received rave reviews and has become popular.
A presentation by the International Federation for Modern Languages and Literatures (FILLM) in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland and Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council.
