A Tour of Switzerland through Literature

Explore Switzerland’s stunning landscapes through the eyes of the great writers who were enchanted by them — Rousseau, Byron, the Shelleys, Conan Doyle, Joyce, and many more. Under the expert guidance of Dr Tatiana Bonch-Osmolovskaya, a literary scholar, writer, and artist with a global reputation for her work on European avant-garde and literary experiments, this session brings to life the cultural heartbeat of Switzerland. Perfect for lovers of literature, travel, and art who want more than a typical tour.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (F2F & Online simultaneously)

SUGGESTED READING

• Jean Jacques Rousseau. Julie, or, The New Heloise.
• George Gordon Byron. Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
• George Gordon Byron. The Prisoner of Chillon.
• Mary Shelley. Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus.
• Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Six Weeks Tour through a part of France, Switzerland, Germany, and Holland.
• Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mont Blanc.
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The Devil’s Bridge.
• Arthur Conan Doyle. The Final Problem.
• Hugo Ball. Dada Manifesto.
• James Joyce. Bahnhofstrasse.
• Vladimir Lenin. Materialism and emperiocritism.
• Tom Stoppard. Travesties.

COURSE OUTLINE

• Idealistic scenery by Jean Jacques Rousseau.
• Byron, Polidori and Shelleys’ summer, 1816, in Villa Diodati and travels by Switzerland.
• Reichenbach Falls in The Final Problem by A.C. Doyle.
• The Devil’s Bridge by H.W. Longfellow.
• Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich: Dadaistic performances and coffee breaks for Vladimir Lenin.
• James Joyce in Zurich.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Know the names of the writers who lived and worked in Switzerland
2. Know their texts inspired by/written in Switzerland
3. Know the particular places associated with the history of literature and understand where these places are on the map of Switzerland