Alessio Pras is rooted in Eastern Switzerland and has been creatively active for many years – as a musician, painter, and now also as an author. He gained media attention through his musical projects before discovering a new passion: writing. With this book, he combines his creative vision with his hometown St.Gallen – creating a work that is both locally grounded and timeless.
Seeing St. Gallen in a New Light: The Mystery Novel “Ben and the Secret Knowledge of the City of St. Gallen”
St. Gallen is a city one believes to know. Its streets, its facades, its history – everything feels familiar. But what if, right there between these well-known places, something is hidden? Artist, musician, and author Alessio Pras, who is rooted in St. Gallen, takes his readers on a journey that explores exactly this question. With his mystery novel “Ben and the Secret Knowledge of the City of St. Gallen”, he opens a door – not only to another time, but to a different perception of reality. The story unfolds across two timelines: the year 1896 and the present day, 2025 – connecting both in a way that challenges reality and perception.
Where Reality and Research Merge
What makes this book special is that it is not based on fiction alone. Alessio Pras has woven real locations, historical elements, and hidden details from St. Gallen into the story. The result is a unique blend of novel and exploration. Even this very blog – thisismysaintgallen.com – appears within the book itself. In a key scene, the main character Ben researches the so-called “Kamel-Erker” and comes across this exact website. This moment becomes a turning point: The digital present suddenly confirms a truth from the past.
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