Swiss Literature Institute

Writing literature is above all individual work. Being integrated into a course of studies and having the opportunity to reflect on literature with other aspiring writers cannot replace the individual development of one's literary voice, but can stimulate and foster this development.

Following this conviction, the Swiss Literature Institute has been offering the course BA Literary Writing, a course that is unique in Switzerland, since 2006. The three-year study programme prioritises students' personal literary development and enables the young authors to develop their individual literary projects.

The BA in Literary Writing supports the development of a professional network, the consideration and analysis of contemporary literature and its authors and encourages reflection about the processes of poetic creation. Furthermore, the study programme promotes encounters with artists from the other study programmes of the Bern Academy of the Arts.

The Swiss Literature Institute is organised bilingually (German, French) and admits students with either German or French as their mother tongue. The Institute promotes the exchange of authors of these two cultures. The programme is open and does not prescribe any particular genre of text. Therefore, the lecturing authors also represent a wide range of voices and genres.

Since September 2010, a specialisation in the field of Literary Writing / Literary Translation at Master Level will be possible within the framework of the Master in Contemporary Arts Practice at the HKB. The programme of the MA CAP with the specialisation Literary Writing / Literary Translation will allow students to develop their literary or transdisciplinary textual work. The Master specialisation is planned as a collaboration with the Master programme of the University of Lausanne and its specialisation in literay translation.

Aside from the Bachelor study programme and the specialisation at Master level, the Swiss Literature Institute is in the process of setting up a further education programme in the field of literary writing open to the public.