By the Sward

So now Noa herds sheep. To escape her anxiety attacks in the big city and out of a longing for the simple life, she has come to the south of France to volunteer on a farm. Here, Ella, Gregor and their eleven-year-old daughter Jade live off their herd and what they grow in the fields. But this is becoming more and more arduous, as the summers are getting hotter. Noa also notices the cracks in the ground and how little water the river has. Rural life proves no less gruelling than Noa’s life before. And in the seclusion of the mountains, the fears and internal contradictions she had struggled with at home also catch up with her.

In By the Sward, internal and external landscapes, which are becoming shaky not only because of the climate crisis, clash. Mirjam Wittig talks about this with great empathy and strong atmospheric power – as though you were seeing the mountains and valleys in front of you, were hearing the bells of the sheep, feeling the dryness and heat on your skin. An exciting debut!

Rarely has the delicate subject of mental health, especially that of young adults growing up between terrorist attacks and the rising awareness of the climate crisis, been treated with such sensitivity and at such a high literary level as in this impressive debut novel.

 

»a nuanced, literary and timely examination of young people’s mental health in the 21st century, and the anxieties triggered by terror attacks and climate change.« New Books in German

»Her style is captivating, creates an irresistible pull while reading. The extract from her manuscript promises a highly reflective and at the same time sensual novel, entertaining in the best sense of the word.« Susanne Schulte, laudatory speech on the occasion of the GWK Förderpreis Literatur 2019

»Mirjam Wittig has a talent for creating an atmosphere with dotted impressions that condense bit by bit. […] An amazing debut.« Xaver von Cranach, Der Spiegel

»Wittig successfully creates a shimmering, fascinating panorama of words.« Jana Zahner, Südwest Presse

»Mirjam Wittig uses language as a means of reflection, feeling her way into the landscape and into the inner world of her protagonist with words. […] As a reader, one would like to accompany this narrative figure for much longer.« Stefan Hauck, Börsenblatt

»Mirjam Wittig transforms her generation’s attitude towards life into literature […], fashions her novel in harmonious scenes and dialogues, in atmospherically rich descriptions and flashbacks at the right moments.« Julia Schröder, Deutschlandfunk

»With By the Sward, Mirjam Wittig has written an exceptional novel – in terms of both language and subject matter. She examines two major themes of our times, fear and climate change, with great sensitivity and depth.« Sally-Charell Delin, SR2 KulturRadio

»A story that is told very delicately and carefully and that possesses great power at the same time. […] A fantastic debut!« Sabine Zaplin, BR