Relentless at writing letters, Alice was often less comfortable at speaking in public and said she was very shy. Her interviews highlight her strong and lively character. Her unique voice and insight are still relevant today.
Why am I so poorly gifted for the spoken word? Sheer emotion and uncontrolable panic turn my brain into a void as soon as I am in public.
Traces de vie,15 January 1977
26 January 1962
Audio interview by Yvette Z'Graggen, following the publication of Sans Alcool / © Archives RTS
14 November 1974
Audio interview by Yvette Z'Graggen, following the publication of De Mémoire et d'oubli, in the radio programme Écrivains de toute la Suisse. Leyla Aubert reads a few excerpts. / © Archives RTS
1 January 1978
Alice Rivaz reads an excerpt from Comptez vos jours (Count your days) / © Archives RTS
4 September 1979
Audio interview by Jacques Bofford in the radio programme En questions, following the publication of Jette ton pain (Cast thy bread) / © Archives RTS
11–12 September 1980
«Alice Rivaz à livre ouvert» (Alice Rivaz, an open book) in the radio programme La Librairie des ondes by Alphonse Layaz / © Archives RTS
27 January 1981
Alice Rivaz is the laureate of the Canada-Suisse Prize for her novel Jette ton pain (Cast thy bread) / © Archives RTS
26 September 1982
Interview by Irène Lichtenstein in the radio programme La Librairie des ondes / © Archives RTS
29 May 1983
Nicolas Bouvier interviews Alice Rivaz for the literary TV programme Miroirs, following the publication of Traces de vie (Traces of life) / © Archives RTS
27 November 1983
Mousse Boulanger pays a visit to Alice Rivaz in Geneva for the radio programme Dimanche littéraire. / © Archives RTS
24 April 1986
Alphonse Layaz interviews Alice Rivaz for the radio programme Silhouette. / © Archives RTS
16 July 1986
Interview by Mousse Boulanger. Picture : Olivier Frei / Sound : Nag Ansorge / Photography credits & Coordination : Jean Mayerat / © Association Films Plans-Fixes
29 April 1987
“La machine à tricoter” (The knitting machine), from the collection De Mémoire et d'oubli (Of memory and oblivion), read by Yvette Théraulat, original score by Nono Müller / © Archives RTS
1 August 1991
Interview by Nicole Duparc for Littérature en Suisse / © Archives RTS
20 September 1996
The TV programme Faxculture dedicates an episode to Alice Rivaz, in celebration of her 95th birthday / © Archives RTS
6 May 1998
“Hommage à Alice Rivaz” (A homage to Alice Rivaz) in Carré d'arts / © Archives RTS
Keywords
Her piano
Alice Rivaz discovered music and singing at a very young age and her piano never left her side.
Her paintings
Alice's paintings and sketches, the fruit of her artistic pursuit that she belittled by calling herself a ‘Sunday painter’. Alice nonetheless spared time for her art throughout her life.