Frédéric Zwicker

Frederic Zwicker is a Swiss writer and musician. He was born in Lausanne in 1983. He studied German philology, history, and philosophy at university. He also took part in poetry readings and competitions, where he recited his own poems. These texts formed the basis for songs that Frederic has performed since 2006 with other members of the group Knut’s Koffer, later renamed Heckto Super, in which he sings as well as plays the violin and guitar. To date, the band has released four albums. Zwicker has worked in several fields: he wrote introductions and jokes for the satirical show Giacobbo/Müller, worked as a copywriter and music teacher, hosted readings, and led literary workshops in schools. While in Africa, he collaborated with the newspaper Südostschweiz, where his pieces about life on the continent were published. He currently works as a columnist and editor at the culture magazine Saiten. Zwicker’s literary debut, the novel Here You Can Walk in Circles, set in a home for people with dementia, was published in 2016 and warmly received by critics and readers alike. Before beginning to write it, the author worked for some time in a similar institution. The action of his subsequent novel Joy is set in Croatia for a reason. Frederic calls Zagreb his second home, where he has many friends and to which he is always happy to return: he likes the Balkan spirit, the nature, and the local cuisine. In 2017, Zwicker received a grant from the Culture Foundation of the canton of St. Gallen. He now lives in Rapperswil-Jona on the shore of Lake Zurich.