Dr. Ilma Rakusa
Born in 1946 in Rimavskà Sobota (Eastern Slovaky). Lives and works as an author (e.g. for the publishing house Suhrkamp), journalist ("Neue Zürcher Zeitung", "Die Zeit"), publisher and translator in Zurich. Childhood and youth in Budapest, Ljubljana and Triest. Active Member in several committees. Member of the Advisory Board of the Allianz Cultural Foundation, Munich
| 1964 | Graduation from high-school in Zurich |
| 1965-1971 | Degrees in Slavistics and Romance languages and literature in Zurich, Paris and Leningrad |
| 1971 | PhD about "Studies about the motives of loneliness in Russian literature" |
| 1971-1977 | Assistant at the Institute for Slavistic Studies at the University of Zurich |
| Since 1977 | Lecturer for Russian Philolology at the Slavistic Seminar and the Institute of Linguistics of the University of Zurich |
| Today | Freelance writer, translator and publicist |
Awards:
| 1986 | Honorary Award (Ehrengabe) of the city of Zurich |
| 1987 | Award of the Hieronymus ring |
| 1988 | Petrarca Prize for her translation of the works of Marina Zwetajewa |
| 1993 | Poetics Lecture at Graz |
| 1998 | Honorary Award in recognition of her literary services donated of the Book Prize Leipzig for European Integration |
| 1998 | Schiller Prize of the Zurich Kantonalbank |
| 2003 | Adelbert von Chamisso Prize |
| 2003 | Cultural Award "Pro Cultura Hungarica" |
| 2004 | Johann Jacob Bodmer Medal of the city of Zurich |
| 2005 | Prize of the International Literature Festival of Vilencia (Slowenia) |
