Frequently Asked Questions

Where, how, and when do you work?

Petri

I write almost exclusively during the summer, in a mountain village called Petri on a Greek island. The village is about 2.5 kilometers from the coast, with virtually no automobile traffic to speak of.

I sit and read a lot in the shady inner courtyard of the house.

When I write, I work in the house (which has air conditioning to combat the heat waves) at my desk on a laptop computer. From my desk, I have a view of the terrace. Or I sit on the terrace, from where I can see the water.

Zurich
I live in Zurich in an ordinary townhouse. It’s very quiet in spite of being in a big city. Things are somewhat monotonous during spring and fall, but winter’s always good for a surprise. At least twice a year we get so much snow that everything comes to a complete standstill.

 

This is where I work, edit my manuscripts, write short stories. Sometimes by hand, sometimes directly at the PC.

 

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Support staff

My dog Gipsy, who unfortunately died in February 2008 at the age of 14.
Papina und Sappho

Since sommer 2008 there are two Greek dogs: Papina - brown-white, short-leged, circa 5 years old now, who has adopted me and her daugther Sappho, for short Sapphi, born in June 2008.

My tomcat Moritz, whose favorite activity is to wreak havoc in the carefully sorted piles of documents on my desk.

» view more photos of my four-legged support staff

* translation: Mary Tannert