Target audience
English teachers at secondary I and secondary II-levels
Summary
The shores of the Léman Lake hold a special place in Anglo-American literary history. It was here, in the summer of 1816, that some of the most influential figures of English literature – Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, and Percy Bysshe Shelley – gathered at the Villa Diodati, giving rise to masterpieces such as Frankenstein. The region has also long been a haven for writers, intellectuals, and exiles, from Henry James and T.S. Eliot, to expatriates, such as Vladimir Nabokov, who found inspiration in its serene landscapes and cosmopolitan atmosphere.
The course explores the rich and evolving tradition of Anglo-American literature written in the inspiring and breathtaking backdrop of the Lake. It proposes a journey through the landscapes of literature, examining in particular the transatlantic literary dialogue that has shaped the modern canon.
Objectives
- Outline the historical development of Anglo-American literature written on the shores of the Léman Lake
- Show how authors past and present have experienced and experimented with the setting of the Léman Lake as a place of inspiration and creativity
- Consider the relationships between literary texts and the setting which inspired them or in which they were written
- Engage the reader’s attention to and participation in texts inspired or written by the Léman Lake
- Discuss the pedagogical opportunities and learning benefits of teaching texts in the region in which they were written
Certification
A certificate of participation will be delivered at the end of the course.
Programme
MORNING LECTURES
(09:00 to 12:15)
- Welcome
Prof. Martine Hennard Dutheil de la Rochère, Dr. Boris Vejdovsky and Dr. Marie Emilie Walz - By the Waters of Léman: The Uses of Place in English-Language Writing on Switzerland
Prof. Patrick Vincent - Frankenstein in Cologny
Prof. David Spurr - By the Water of Lake Léman: Landscapes of Desire in Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Nabokov
Dr. Boris Vejdovsky
AFTERNOON LECTURES AND PERFORMANCE
(13:45 to 17:00)
- ‘Lake Leman woos me with its crystal face’: The Poetry of Byron, Shelley and Hardy in Switzerland
Dr. Philip Lindholm - Creative Writing Workshop: Translating as a Mode of Reading, from Ferdinand Ramuz to Alice Rivaz
Michelle Bailat-Jones - Closing words
Prof. Martine Hennard Dutheil de la Rochère, Dr. Boris Vejdovsky and Dr. Marie Emilie Walz - Book display
Matthew Wake
OrganiSation
- English Department, Faculté des lettres, Université de Lausanne (UNIL)
Training team
- Prof. Martine Hennard Dutheil de la Rochère, English and Comparative Literature, English department, UNIL
- Dr. Boris Vejdovsky, American Literature and Culture, English department, UNIL
- Dr. Marie Emilie Walz, English and Comparative Literature, English department, UNIL
Teachers
- Michelle Bailat-Jones,
Writer, translator, michellebailatjones.com - Dr. Philip Lindholm,
Modern English Literature, English department, UNIL - Prof. Patrick Vincent,
Institute of English studies, University of Neuchâtel (UNINE) - Prof. David Spurr,
Modern English Literature, University of Geneva (UNIGE) - Dr. Boris Vejdovsky,
American Literature and Culture, English department, UNIL - Matthew Wake,
Librarian and owner of Books Books Books
Practical information
Date and schedule
Friday, September 12, 2025, 9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
Course venue
UNIL-EPFL Campus, Lausanne
Course fee
CHF 300.–
Registration deadline
July 4, 2025
The number of participants is limited
