Viviane Egli ● A Ray of Light in the Square

The author in conversation with Manfred Papst.

Accompanied by musician Christian Fotsch (guitar, oud, vocals, leader of the Roma music group ‘Ssassa’) and Omer Nevo (vocals, guitar, bass)

On Turbinenplatz in Zurich, Joshua and Jonas witness a road accident: a cyclist injures a young woman so severely that she is admitted to hospital with a traumatic brain injury. As a result of the accident, Maryam temporarily loses her voice, which is devastating for the singing student. When Joshua and Jonas visit Maryam, a bond immediately forms between the three of them. They have no idea yet just how closely their lives are actually intertwined.

The narrative spans the year 2025, divided into seasons, and is set in various locations across Zurich, with the cloister of Zurich’s Großmünster playing a central role. Seven vignettes set in other cloisters across Europe bring the story full circle.

The protagonists are linked by a seemingly imaginary figure, the Revenant. Ultimately elusive, he embodies both life and death, fate and grace, and sees the humanity and vulnerability in everyone he encounters. He is both a figure on the periphery – a presence in the corner of one’s eye, an oriental, spicy scent in the nose – and the linchpin of the story’s central message: tolerance and mutual respect, as well as the preservation of hope.

The book is published by Caracol Verlag