Swiss Author Lukas Bärfuss Explores Familial Void in New Book ‘Queen of the Night’
Swiss author Lukas Bärfuss debuted his latest work, “Queen of the Night,” during a public reading and discussion on Friday, May 15, 2026, at the 48th Solothurn Literature Days. The book serves as an intimate examination of the author’s relationship with his mother, focusing on the emotional gaps and unresolved tensions of his upbringing.
The publication follows Bärfuss’s 2022 exploration of his father, “Vaters Kiste.” While his previous work addressed his father’s legacy, “Queen of the Night” turns toward the second pivotal figure of his life, attempting to fill a “blank space” in his personal history. This thematic progression highlights a broader literary trend of using autobiographical reflection to process the complexities of parental influence and familial trauma.
The narrative delves into the circumstances surrounding his mother’s later years and her death in the Dominican Republic. According to the text, she had emigrated to the country with a partner, driven by the fact that her modest pension provided a more sustainable living there. Bärfuss describes the aftermath of her passing, noting that she left behind a final balance of only 60 francs.
This stark financial reality serves as a catalyst for the author’s internal conflict. Standing in her bedroom five days after her death, Bärfuss describes being caught in an “emotional turmoil” characterized by a struggle between a desire for vindication and enduring feelings of guilt. He writes that he “is ashamed” and admits, “He didn’t understand how weak she was.”
The book explicitly challenges the cultural assumption that motherly love is an absolute certainty. Bärfuss contrasts the societal expectation—that mothers naturally protect and care for their children and receive affection in return—with his own lived experience. He frames this struggle through the lens of his identity, referring to himself as “the son, the writer, me.”
By dissecting these strained dynamics, the work underscores the psychological impact of parental emotional absence and the lifelong effort required to reconcile with a parent who did not fit the traditional mold of maternal care.
