Stefan, Verena (1947–)
Stefan, Verena (1947–)
Swiss novelist, poet, and feminist. Born Mar 10, 1947, in Berne, Switzerland; dau. of a Sudeten German father and German-Swiss mother; attended University of Berlin.
Moved to Berlin (1967), where she was closely involved with the student movement and became a physiotherapist; published the bestselling Häutungen (Shedding, 1975), a narration of the radical transformation of a young woman during the women's, civil rights, and health-care movements, which became a feminist manifesto; also wrote short stories Literally Dreaming and Es ist reich gewesen: Bericht vom Sterben meiner Mutter (Times Have Been Good, 1993), in honor of her mother; moved to Montreal (1999), where she writes in English and German. Received Prix de la Ville de Berne (1988, 1994).