Interview with Anna Elsner on how literature addresses and shapes the role of dying in society.

Literature has always been concerned with the end of life. Michel de Montaigne, for example, reflected on it as early as the 16th century. But to the French philosopher, dying per se represented no more than a few brief moments of terror. Today, dying is prolonged. Many of us have much more time to think about it. Moreover, death usually takes place in a medical context and thus embeds individual stories of suffering in a larger framework.

Based on French narratives going back to the 1970s, Anna Elsner has examined how literature addresses the changing role of dying and palliative care in society. And she asks whether writing itself might become a palliative practice. For her work at the intersection of French literature and culture, philosophy and medicine, Elsner has been awarded the Marie Heim-Vögtlin Prize by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The CHF 25,000 award is being presented for the 14th time this year. The award ceremony will take place in St. Gallen on 19 December 2022.