Siri Hustvedt

The internationally acclaimed writer and essayist Siri Hustvedt comes to Zurich for an in-depth conversation about freedom, vulnerability, and resilience in times of uncertainty.

In a time when public debate is becoming increasingly polarized and we are quick to draw hard and fast borders, Siri Hustvedt’s work invites us to stay open to doubt and complexity – reminding us that reality is far more ambiguous. The same openness is what our hardest problems demand: how do we face AI, climate change, populism, and the many challenges of our time without retreating into simple answers?

An evening with a writer who brings together existential experience, political awareness, and intellectual curiosity like few others.

Siri Hustvedt (*1955 in Northfield, Minnesota) is one of the major voices in contemporary American literature. In her novels and essays, she combines narrative power with sharp intellectual insight. Hustvedt became internationally known for novels such as What I Loved, The Summer Without Men, and The Blazing World. At the same time, her essays have established her as a writer who continually explores the boundaries between literature, science, and philosophy – precise, passionate, and intellectually alert. Her most recent book is Ghost Stories, a memoir about her late husband, Paul Auster.