Charles Lewinsky, born in Zurich in 1946, has been a freelance writer since 1980. He won international renown with his novel Melnitz, which was awarded numerous prizes, including the French ›Prix du meilleur livre étranger‹. His novel Halfbeard was nominated for both the ›Swiss Book Prize‹ and the ›German Book Prize‹. His works have been published in 16 languages. Charles Lewinsky lives in Vereux (France) in summer, and in Zurich in winter.