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ABOUT AUTHOR Laura Vogt (Teufen, 1989) studied creative writing at the Swiss Literature Institute in Biel and Cultural Studies at the University of Luzern. Her first novel So einfach war es zu gehen came out in 2016. She is also the author of numerous short stories and articles as well as lyrical and dramatic texts. She started writing her second novel Was uns betrifft (What Concerns Us) just two months after having her first child. In her work, Laura is particularly interested in exploring the complexity of relationships, maternity, as well as inquiring into the many forms that womanhood can take. She is currently working on her third novel. Laura lives in the canton of St. Gallen.

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DESCRIPTION. Rahel and Fenna are in their late twenties and early thirties. They are sisters. Their mother Vera brought them up by herself. Vera started a series of romantic relationships with other women, and now suffers from breast cancer. Rahel, a jazz singer, is pregnant and single but in love with writer Boris with whom she eventually moves. While she seems to embrace maternity and family life, she falls pregnant from Boris, and her body turns into a complete alienated part of herself. When the baby is born, she rejects maternity; at the same time, she cannot stop breastfeeding the baby. In the meanwhile, Fenna expects a child from Luc, a man who can turn from charming hippy to aggressor in a heartbeat, raping her on a woodland walk well into their relationship. We follow Fenna throughout her complex response, from rage, to acceptance, to feelings of responsibility and guilt. WHAT CONCERNS US is a blunt depiction of pregnancy, sex, maternity and relationships through the lives of two women.

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WOMAN, IDLE
  • WOMAN, IDLE

WOMAN, IDLE


From the creative duo who gave us What Concerns Us, this new novel explores non-monogamous relationships and shifting identities through the voices of three women, brought together in the quiet tension of the Swiss mountains.Told in alternating voices, Woman, Idle explores two main questions: What kind of women have I become? What kind of women do I want to be?
 
In the Swiss mountains, Romi and Szibilla arrive at Nora’s childhood home to find their longtime friend has retreated into silence. With Nora refusing to speak and her mother keeping them at arm’s length, Romi and Szibilla are forced into an uneasy time together over the next five days. Their mutual acquaintance will bring out their own insecurities as friends, lovers, and mothers, unexpectedly confronted with themselves and their own choices. This is a novel that masterfully blends daily-life reflections with suspense. Insightful yet easy to read, readers will be captivated by the mystery surrounding the silent woman. 
 
Laura Vogt (Teufen, 1989) studied cultural studies and literary writing. Her debut novel, So einfach war es also zu gehen (2016) featured at the Solothurn Literature Days and PROSOMOVA. In 2022, we published her second novel, Was uns betrifft (What Concerns Us). In addition to prose, she also writes poetry, plays, and journalistic texts. She lives with her family in eastern Switzerland.
 
Caroline Waight is an award-winning literary translator. Her translations include books by Laura Vogt, Caroline Albertine Minor, Ingvild Rishøi, Maren Uthaug, Asta Olivia Nordenhof and Dorthe Nors. Most recently, she was a finalist for the 2023 PEN Translation Award and received a special commendation at the 2023 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.
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