David Szalay
How much does our body control us?
David Szalay (*1974 in Montreal, Canada) is a Hungarian-British author who was awarded the prestigious Booker Prize in 2025 for his latest novel Flesh. His books are known for their stylistic clarity and psychological precision, and they revolve around themes of masculinity, power, and questions of status, money, and belonging.
The novel Flesh traces the life of a man from youth to old age – from a housing complex in Hungary to the world of London’s super-rich. It portrays an emotionally distant man whose life is thrown off course by external events. The novel is a compelling, precise portrait of modern masculinity – powerful in style and marked by great existential intensity.
The conversation will be in English, some book excerpts will be read in German.
Andreas Storm
Organized by the bookstore Buchland.ch
If the weather is bad or uncertain, the event will take place indoors at Kaufleuten.
Enjoy sandwiches, snacks and drinks at the festival bar. Open from 7 pm.
Treat yourself to a fine dinner before the event at Kaufleuten Restaurant, open from 6pm.
The moderator will select a number of audience questions to discuss with David Szalay → Here you can send your questions.
Zu jeder Veranstaltung gibt es eine eigens kuratierte Playlist – inspiriert von den Büchern, Themen und der besonderen Atmosphäre im Alten Botanischen Garten.
Zur Playlist des heutigen Abends geht es → hier.