Chessex is a giant of Swiss literature. In 1973 He obtained the Prix Goncourt for the novel L'Ogre. In 1992, he obtained the Mallarme Prize for poetry for Les Aveugles du seul regard, as well as the Grand Prize of the Fondation Vaudoise pour la creation artistique. In 1999, he was awarded the Grand Prix de la langue francaise, and the Goncourt poetry grant for Allegria. In 2007, he was awarded the Grand Prix Jean Giono for his entire work. Chessex suffered a heart attack and collapsed during a public discussion on 9 October 2009 about his play The Confession of Father Burg.