Die Alp an sich
Tobias Bärtsch & Rachel TonThat
Literary translations of Swiss folklore
Die Alp an sich is a bilingual collection of literary translations of Swiss folklore from the Sarganserland region by Tobias Bärtsch and Rachel TonThat. Translated from Swiss German and High German into English for the first time, the book dwells on the lifespan of the stories through time with past versions paired with historical context, new retellings, and excerpts from 19th to 21st century folklorists, including an essay by contemporary folklorist Dr. Meret Fehlmann at the University of Zurich.
Rachel TonThat is an interdisciplinary artist and writer, and co-founder of the social art and publishing project, Oreades Press. She was selected for the inaugural She Who Has No Master(s) writing mentorship through the Diasporic Vietnamese Artist Network and completed her MA Fine Art at Zurich University of the Arts. Her work has been supported by the city of Zurich, Canton St. Gallen, the AAPI Commission of Massachusetts, New England Foundation For the Arts, Mass Cultural Council, Collective Futures Fund, Tin House Writing Workshop, and more. Her essays and art criticism have appeared in publications like Diacritics, The Amp, and Boston Art Review.
Tobias Bärtsch (b. 1993) is a Swiss-Polish artist and writer based in Zurich, Switzerland. His interdisciplinary practice spans various media, often beginning with text. In 2024, he participated in the group exhibition Uncanny Unchained at Kunsthalle St. Gallen. He wrote for various publications, such as PW Magazine and transversal texts. His work has been supported by the Canton of St. Gallen through a Werkbeitrag grant in 2024.
Publication date: October 31, 2025 / June 30, 2026
ISBN: 9798218768881
Price: $55 / 50 Fr.
Praise:
“The legends and their retellings, each with their own unique vibrancy [go] hand in hand like the extraordinary combination of image and text”
— X Schneeberger, Neon Pink & Blue (Swiss Literature Prize 2021)
“[TonThat and Bärtsch] make language perceptible across languages and honor the creative work of translation—producing a work of rare coherence…Under [TonThat’s] direction, this multilayered, carefully designed form—from film photography to overall design—elevates the book far beyond a simple collection, making it a work that not only preserves the traditions but also reflects on, interrogates, and revitalizes them.”
— Janin Pisarek, folklorist, narrative researcher, and Vice President of the European Fairy Tale Society