Diccon Bewes

Biography

Diccon Bewes (1967 - 2025) was an author and travel writer. He grew up in Petersfield, Hampshire, and a degree in International Relations from LSE and an 18-month world trip set him up for a career in travel writing, though he took the scenic route via bookselling. After a short spell at Lonely Planet then eight years writing for Holiday Which? magazine, he decamped to Switzerland, where he was manager of the Stauffacher English Bookshop in Bern. 

His first book, Swiss Watching, was an international bestseller and a Financial Times Travel Book of the Year. With that success, he switched to being a full-time writer and accidental Swiss expert, as well as an occasional radio guest and popular public speaker. He also took the plunge and became Swiss. He lived in Bern with his partner and a cupboard full of chocolate.

Books in order of publication:

Swiss Watching (2010)

Slow Train to Switzerland (2013)

Around Switzerland in 80 Maps (2015)

False Friends (2015)

How to be Swiss (2016)

The Expert Guide to Your Life in Switzerland (2020)

Cartographica Helvetica (2021)