Christian Haller: Putting the unspeakable into literary language
Published: Sunday, Nov 19th 2023, 15:11
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Christian Haller has been awarded the "Swiss Book Prize" for his story "Sich lichtende Nebel". In his latest story, he also tried to put the unspeakable in science, more precisely in quantum mechanics, into literary language, as he said in an interview with Keystone SDA on Sunday.
Keystone-SDA: Mr. Haller, you described yourself earlier as virtually speechless when you found out that you were receiving the Swiss Book Prize. Now that you've found your tongue again: How are you feeling?
Christian Haller: I'm doing very well, and it's also a relief that the exhausting reading tour has come to an end. And such a pleasant one. But when I heard my name called as the winner, I was really overwhelmed for a brief moment.
Keystone-SDA: And this despite the fact that you were one of the favorites for the prize in the run-up to the competition?
Christian Haller: You can't count on a price, that would be presumptuous.
Keystone-SDA: In your story and your work in general, the natural sciences always play an important role. What fascinates you so much about this field?
Christian Heller: I am fascinated by the fact that we are living in a time of great upheaval, in which an enormous number of new discoveries are being made at the same time - just think of cosmology, how deeply we can look into the interior of this cosmos. We have also made enormous progress in quantum physics and cell biology.
Keystone-SDA: As a writer and scientist, which is what you originally were, are you taking on the role of teacher or translator?
Christian Haller: I am and will remain a writer. But quantum mechanics has changed our view of the world. I am now fascinated by the effects this can have. And I ask myself: can the unspeakable, the actually incomprehensible, be put into literary language?
Keystone-SDA: You juxtapose Heisenberg with the fictional character of the retired history professor Helstedt, who unconsciously provides the fictional spark of the uncertainty principle. Is this Helstedt a kind of alter ego of yours?
Christian Heller: I can only feed the creative process from my personal experiences. So a lot of me has flowed into this figure of Helstedt.
Keystone-SDA: What significance does this prize have in your long career as a writer?
Christian Haller: To put it bluntly, it's the icing on the cake. It's a belated confirmation of my long and hard work, which wasn't always easy. It was a path that focused on what was unique. And it's very nice and gratifying to see that this individuality is appreciated.
©Keystone/SDA
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