Peter Bichsel

Peter Bichsel (1935–2025) was a Swiss writer. Born in Lucerne, he grew up in Olten and trained as a primary school teacher at the teachers’ seminary in Solothurn. He worked as a teacher until 1968 and served as personal adviser to Swiss Federal Councillor Willi Ritschard from 1974 to 1981. Bichsel became widely known in 1964 with his first collection of stories, “Eigentlich möchte Frau Blum den Milchmann kennenlernen.” In 1965, he received the Group 47 Literature Prize. His notable works also include “Kindergeschichten” and “Der Busant.” He was awarded the German Youth Literature Prize in 1970 for “Kindergeschichten” and the Kassel Literature Prize for Grotesque Humor in 2000. Bichsel was a member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin and a corresponding member of the German Academy for Language and Literature.