Gerhard Meier

(Niederbipp, 1917 – Langenthal, 2008) A poet and industrial designer, not quitting the latter job until 1971, he published his first book of poems in 1964. He became better known when Peter Handke gave him half of the money he received with the Kafka Prize in 1979. His style has been compared with that of Robert Walser or Adalbert Stifter; however, one might add other authors deeply rooted in a provincial environment which they transcend with apparent lightness, such as Julien Gracq, Blai Bonet or Fredrik Sjöberg (the latter two published by P&P). Film director Friedrich Kappeler did two documentaries about him: Die Ballade vom Schreiben (The ballad of writing, 1995) and Das Wolkenschattenboot (The Cloud Shadow Boat , 2007). After two books of poems and two collections of short prose, he published longer works, such as Der Besuch (The Visit, 1976) and, eventually, four books about as many encounters between two old friends, Baur and Bindschädler, at different places including the fictitious town of Amrain. P&P will start publishing Terra dels vents, a translation of Land der Winde (Windland); other titles of this group of books are Toteninsel (Island of the Dead, 1979), Borodino (1982) and Die Ballade vom Schneien (The Ballad of Snowing, 1985)