Naw Much of a Talker

Pedro Lenz was born in 1965 in Langenthal and now lives in Olten, Switzerland. He studied Spanish literature at the University of Bern and has worked as a freelance writer for various newspapers and magazines since 2001. Lenz is very active on the Spoken Word scene, is one half of the performance duo Hohe Stirnen and a member of the spoken-word artists group Bern ist uberall. He has won numerous awards and poetry slams, was nominated for the Swiss Book Prize and won the Berne Literature Prize in 2010 for this first novel, originally published as Der Goalie bin ig, which is also to be made into a film. Donal McLaughlin specialises in translating contemporary Swiss fiction. He has translated over 100 writers for the New Swiss Writing anthologies and is the English voice of Urs Widmer. An author in his own right, Donal frequently also interprets for visiting writers at readings and festivals. He features in Best European Fiction 2012 (Dalkey Archive Press) as both a writer and a translator.

'Lenz uses language so brilliantly, it sounds like a live broadcast from real life.' - Der kleine Bund 'Lenz is a master in creating forms of speech which take in much that remains unspoken.' - Tages-Anzeiger