Peirene Press's Rebecca Gisler for About Uncle

Rebecca Gisler joins us for About Uncle, the novel awarded the 2022 Swiss Prize for Literature, now published into English by Peirene Press.

In a small seaside town on the French coast lives Uncle. He shares his house with his niece and nephew, who look after him when they could be doing something - anything - else.

A disabled veteran with odd habits, Uncle is prone to drinking, hoarding and gorging, not to mention the occasional excursion down into the plumbing, where he might disappear for days at a time. As the world begins to shut down, Uncle and his niece are forced even closer still. She starts to watch his every move - every bathroom break he takes, every pill he swallows - and finds herself relying on this man, her only companion.

A penetrating novel on disability, family relationships and modern times.' ~ FLORENCE BOUCHY, LE MONDE DES LIVRES

'Gisler urges us to reflect on what it is to be different. The uncle stumbles through life, as does the narrator and her brother. Together they reveal a hidden aspect of society, full of invisible people who are square pegs in round holes.' ~ SYLVIE TANETTE, LES INROCKUPTIBLES

Rebecca Gisler was born in Zurich. She writes in both German and French, translating her texts from one language into another. Gisler has published poetry and prose in numerous magazines and anthologies. She is the co-organizer of the series Teppich in the House of Literature Zurich. In 2020 she won the 28th Open Mike literature competition.