Sounds of Switzerland with Swiss Author Dominic Oppliger @ Rice University

The Consulate General of Switzerland in Atlanta and the Rice University invite you to an evening dedicated to Swiss German language with acclaimed Swiss author Dominic Oppliger.

His novel, Giftland (Poison Land) (2023), is an opinionated and poetic literary road movie written in Swiss German. The book follows a Swiss band on tour across America: endless highways, diners, clubs, motels, and the vast landscapes in between. At its center is drummer Sämi, caught in the loops of his near and distant past—perfecting, along the way, the art of smoking cigarettes backwards. With longing, humor, and hope, Oppliger crafts a rousing search for meaning in a unique sound and rhythm that lingers long after the last page.

The program will highlight Switzerland’s unique linguistic diversity and introduce participants to the Swiss German language.

• Welcome Remarks by Dr. Nicole Sütterlin, Associate Professor of Modern & Classical Languages, Literatures & Cultures at Rice University
• Introduction to Switzerland’s linguistic diversity and a short Swiss German crash course by the Consul General of Switzerland in Atlanta Urs Brönnimann
• Reflection on Marina Rumjanzewa’s “Schwiizerdütsch” (2023) as an entry point into understanding Swiss German from an outsider’s perspective
• Reading from Dominic Oppliger’s novel Giftland (2023) in Swiss German, accompanied by projected German and English translations
• Q&A
• Reception with Swiss Chocolate, snacks and refreshments

• Audience: Public – everyone is welcome.
• Parking facilities and rates can be found here: https://parking.rice.edu/parking-facilities-and-rates It is recommended that visitors use the North Lot, as it is the closest to the Engineering building (see campus map below).
• Campus map: https://www.rice.edu/campus-maps

Host or Publisher Consulate of Switzerland in Houston