Wednesday, 4th August, from 6.30 to 8 pm
Are men going through an identity crisis? When you read novels like Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, or Tim Lott's White City Blue, or Mike Gayle's My Legendary Girlfriend, are you convinced men today have a problem with obsessions, with noncommitment, and with prolonged adolenscence? Is this a backlash against feminism and a relapse into sexism?
Our special guest at this Talk Party will be Andrea Ochsner, author of the recently published Lad Trouble - Masculinity and Identity in the British Male Confessional Novel of the 1990s. For this book she carried out extensive research and interviewed Nick Hornby. She teaches English Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Basel.
Free entrance, RSVP info@bergli.ch.
An exciting novel about a house filled with light and optimism near a provincial Czech town that slips from hand to hand, Nazi to Soviet and finally to the Czechoslovak state. It's a shelter for its dwellers struggling for happiness from irrational times.
The discussion will be led by Mary Hogan.
*We recommend that you read the book in advance of the discussion group.
Thirteen Reasons Why is a mesmerizing debut novel. When Clay Jenkins receives a box containing 13 cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah who has committed suicide, he spends the night crisscrossing their town listening to her voice recounting the events leading up to her death.
*We recommend that you read the book in advance of the discussion group.
Diccon Bewes' eagerly awaited new book about the Swiss is being launched in England this summer and we look forward to celebrating it with him at this Talk Party.
Swiss Watching is a light-hearted yet revealing journey around Switzerland. From seeking Heidi and finding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past and exploring an uncertain future, Swiss Watching proves that there's more to Switzerland than most newcomers realize.
Diccon Bewes worked for many years as a travel writer for Lonely Planet and Holiday Which? Magazine in the UK before coming a few years ago to live in Berne where he is manager of the Stauffacher English Bookshop - another reason why the Bergli team is looking forward to welcoming him to Basel.
Free entrance, RSVP info@bergli.ch
This is the poetic account of a dying man's last days and his relationship with his father. Tinkers has won the Pulizer Prize for Fiction and is an elegiac mediation on love, loss, and the fierce beauty of nature. The discussion will be led by Howard Etlinger.
*We recommend that you read the book in advance of the discussion group.
*For young adults. We recommend that you read the book in advance of the discussion group.
Our special guest, Jürg Wegelin, is a journalist and the author of Mr. Swatch, a biography of Nicholas Hayek, the highly successful and creative entrepreneur behind Swatch. Mr. Hayek was born in Lebanon and came to Switzerland as an immigrant and became the saviour of the Swiss watch industry. This book has just come out in English translation.
Free entrance, RSVP info@bergli.ch.
This Talk Party will celebrate the international publication of The Bells, an extraordinary debut novel by an American author living in Basel. Join us to learn about all the places in Switzerland that inspired this epic tale and the experiences of an author in finding a publisher and seeing how his work blossoms in reviewers' hands.
This book is dazzling, enchanting and epic, the confession of a thief, kidnapper and unlikely lover - a boy with the voice of an angel.
Free entrance. RSVP info@bergli.ch.
What is a Talk Party?
Usually we have invited a special guest to discuss a particular topic. People attending are invited to join in the discussion if they like. It's a great opportunity to meet new, interesting people from the international and Swiss community and have a drink together. Depending on the guest there may be a CHF 10.00 entrance charge however most of the Talk Parties are free. Usually about 30 to 50 people attend so if you want to be sure there is room for you, get your ticket early or let us know at info@bergli.ch that you are planning to attend.
What is a Book Discussion?
These are informal exchanges between participants about their opinions, experiences, rewards or disappointments when reading the selected book. Usually people in the book discussion group decide together what work of contemporary fiction or non-fiction will be read in the next few months and who will lead the discussion. People attending often say that they discovered books (and viewpoints) they would never have come to otherwise and that often the discussions are even more enjoyable than the book. Usually about 10 to 25 people attend. There is no charge, no membership. We recommend that you have read the book before attending. The book focused on is always announced well in advance.