A translator and essayist Born in 1946 in Slovakia, Grew up in Switzerland, Living in Zürich, Won the Swiss Buch.09 award And 50,000 Swiss Franks.
The jury was delighted With her ‘Mehr Meer,’ Written with a pen Dipped in beauty That fills the world With poetry.
With her More Seas, She sailed past Peter Stamm With his novel Seven Years, Shortlisted contemporaries: Eleonore Frey, Jürg Laederach, Angelika Overath and Urs Widmer.
A tale about memories Of a daughter, Of Hungarian And Slovenian descent, With sojourns in Budapest, Ljublijana, Triest, Zürich, Leningrad and Paris. The poetess of this passage Of memories Is Ilma Rakussa, A sincere lady with a haircut, Akin to Prince Valiant, With a soft voice.
The atmosphere was sticky, The visitors stiff, Perspiring in their garments At the Basler Erlenmatten Street. What a pleasant surprise: Buch.09 is going Buch Basel again.
