Martin R. Dean maintains his top position on the SRF bestsellers list, joined by Zora del Buono, who returns to the rankings. New entries include works by Behzad Karim Khani, Vincenzo Todisco, and Daniela Krien. Highlights from the jury’s November countdown feature poignant narratives exploring identity, loss, and cultural critique, including Dean’s exploration of his mixed heritage, Khani’s reflections on immigrant life, and del Buono’s search for her father’s past.
Martin R. Dean has successfully maintained his top position on the SRF Best Book List. Zora del Buono has also made a return to the rankings. New entries include novels by Behzad Karim Khani, Vincenzo Todisco, and Daniela Krien. Here are the highlights from our jury for November.
5. Zora del Buono: “Seinetwegen” (20 Points)
Zora del Buono was only eight months old when her father died in a car accident in Eastern Switzerland. His absence became a void in her life, as she was raised solely by her mother. The accident was never discussed. Now, in her early 60s, del Buono feels compelled to find the person responsible, who was speeding on the country road at the time. How has he lived all these years with his guilt? What kind of person is he? These are the questions del Buono has pondered while documenting her search.
4. Daniela Krien: “Mein drittes Leben” (21 Points)
The tragic death of her 17-year-old daughter jolts Linda out of her routine. Her work as a curator for an art foundation, her marriage to a painter, and her comfortable life in a spacious old apartment all lose their meaning. What remains are sleepless nights and overwhelming grief. Linda retreats to a remote farm, distancing herself from her husband. She needs time to heal, which is the focus of Daniela Krien’s narrative. Gradually, Krien illustrates how Linda reenters life, step by step.
3. Vincenzo Todisco: “Der Geschichtenabnehmer” (22 Points)
The latest novel from Swiss author Vincenzo Todisco is set in the fictional Italian mountain village of Gruma. The community follows a unique tradition: when someone is close to death, a “story receiver” visits. This person sits by the bedside and listens to what the dying individual wishes to share from their life. In the book, a seven-year-old boy takes on this role, treating it with great seriousness. Through what he hears, a tapestry of interwoven life stories unfolds throughout the narrative.
2. Behzad Karim Khani: “Als wir Schwäne waren” (27 Points)
In a housing estate in the Ruhr area, we follow Reza, whose parents fled Iran for Germany in the 1990s. The kitchens lack exhaust hoods, and the hallways are filled with the smells of poverty, marjoram, and bunk beds. The streets are fraught with violence. In “Als wir Schwäne waren,” German-Iranian author Behzad Karim Khani reflects on his personal experiences. He passionately critiques the so-called German majority society, which constantly reminds immigrants that they are merely “guests.”
1. Martin R. Dean: “Tabak und Schokolade” (42 Points)
In “Tabak und Schokolade,” Martin R. Dean explores his shared identity as the son of a white Swiss mother and a Black father from Trinidad. His parents separated early, and he was raised by his mother in Aargau, who later remarried. Consequently, Dean’s biological father, along with his mother’s years, became a taboo subject associated with “uncivilized savages.” In his book, Martin R. Dean chronicles his quest to uncover his father’s ancestry, leading to an exploration of the horrors of colonial history.