Selina Chönz or Selina Choenz (4 August 1910 – 17 February 2000) was a Swiss children's author. Her most famous work is ''A Bell for Ursli'', a
children's book illustrated by Alois Carigiet .
Biography
Selina Chönz was born in
Samedan on 4 August 1910 as the oldest child and the only daughter to printer and typesetter Anton M. Meyer from Hof and his wife, Marie Louise Ronzi. Chönz trained as a Montessori kindergarten teacher in
Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
. She then spent time learning languages by moving to Spain, England and Italy. Her first teaching position was in
Zuoz in the
Engadin. Shortly after she moved to
Zurich to teach kindergarten teachers. While there she decided to write a children's book herself.

Chönz was a proponent of
Romansh. When she married, she changed the spelling of her name to replace the German "K" with the "Ch". She wrote the original version of the ''A Bell for Ursli'' in Upper Engadin Romansh. She persuaded artist
Alois Carigiet to be her illustrator. From 1940 to 1945 he visited
Guarda, Switzerland and created the illustrations. He used the nearby houses Chasa 51 as the template for the Ursli house in the book.
Several further stories followed and the books were translated into a number of languages. She was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Prize.
Personal life
In 1939 she married the architect
Iachen Ulrich Könz
Iachen Ulrich Könz (20 February 1899 – 25 December 1980) was a Swiss architect, conservator-restorer, and author.
Biography
Iachen Ulrich Könz was born in 1899 in Arezzo, Tuscany. He was the son of the merchant Peider Könz and Constanza (bo ...
who already had four sons from his previous marriage. Together they had a son, painter and draftsman
Steivan Liun Könz. Chönz lived in Guarda until 1981. She suffered from senile dementia towards the end of her life dying in 2000.
Bibliography
;Tales
* La chastlauna. (1940)
* Il purtret da l'antenat. (1943)
*La scuvierta da l'orma. Novel volume (1950)
;Children's Books
* A bell for Ursli, (1945) Illustrated by Alois Carigiet.
* Florina and the wild bird, (1952) Illustrated by Alois Carigiet.
* The snowstorm, (1957) Illustrated by Alois Carigiet.
References
External links
1910 births
2000 deaths
Swiss children's writers
Swiss women children's writers
20th-century Swiss women writers
{{Switzerland-writer-stub