2023-09-04 10:03:35
Winner of the Ü70 writing competition | September 4, 2023
She has already written three books and is one of the winners of the most recent edition of the “Ü70” writing competition. Christine Olmos convinces in her texts with rhythm and clarity. The Jungfrau Zeitung visited her at home.
Christine Olmos at her desk, this is where her texts are created. Photos: Alina Dubach
Christine Olmos lives in a quiet neighborhood in Bern. The heat of the summer day is felt less here. Dense greenery of hedges and trees helps to cool the oven that the city of Bern represents elsewhere. Christine Olmos lives on the “EG”, an old apartment door opens the way to a nicely renovated apartment with direct access to the well-kept communal garden. Ms. Olmos takes care of it herself. One source of inspiration among many.
The works of Christine Olmos.
“I’ve been writing my whole life,” Christine Olmos recalls at the dining table in the living room. Diary, poems, short stories. She has a whole stack in her closet. That may come as a surprise given that three books have already been published. Why are the texts in the closet? “I write because I like to do it. It’s not my primary concern to publish something. Virginia Woolf says: ‘All that matters is that you want to write; and whether it will matter for centuries, or only for hours, no one can say.’ That’s it. But when life gives me something that needs to be published, that’s nice, of course,” explains the 73-year-old.
what life brings
The children’s book was created in the circle of the family. “I always told my nieces and nephews many stories. At one point my sister said why don’t you write them down? I was surprised when I found a publisher for it right away,» says Olmos regarding her first book. Then nothing happened for a few years. The volume of poetry came regarding at the suggestion of an acquaintance who read some of Olmos’ works. Esther Hirschi suggested drawing illustrations for the poems, and Christine Olmos agreed. This project also quickly found a home with a publisher. The log book, which was published in June of this year by the «exceptional» publishing house, deals with a difficult chapter in the life of the author herself. «At first I only wrote for myself, two years following the cancer. To process everything. Then I showed it to two friends who encouraged me to finish writing.”
Christine Olmos’ current favorite books.
Inspiration
In addition to what life offers to Ms. Olmo as inspiration anyway, books are her most important source of inspiration. “I don’t have ‘the’ favorite book. You can say that new ones are always being added, so the pile of favorite books is growing,” explains Christine Olmos with a smile. “One book that has accompanied me since I was a child, even though I no longer read it, is ‘Die Rote Zora’. I carry that in me.”
The brimming bookshelf in the living room holds many of Christine Olmos’ sources of inspiration.
spontaneous
In a magazine, Christine Olmos came across an advertisement for a writing competition for everyone aged 70 and over. “At first I didn’t even think regarding taking part,” the author smiles. But a few weeks later, while cleaning up her desk, she came across the ad once more. “I hadn’t thrown it away, that had to mean something.” She still had a month left and decided to write and submit something. “That was at the end of December. Then in May I heard from Jull once more. I had almost forgotten that the competition was still running.”
English books can also be found in Mrs. Olmos’ personal library.
Around 320 participants had sent in a text on the subject of “ancestors/ancestors”. As one of eight winners, Olmos will take part in a high-altitude writing training camp in St. Moritz and present her text at a public reading at the Zurich Reads festival at the end of October.
According to the motto “It’s never too late”
With the “Ü70” talent competition, the Jull (Young Literature Laboratory) also wants to show the creative potential of older people. And this in 2023 for the 19th time. The theme of the competition is “The Letter”. Anyone born in 1953 or older can take part.
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