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Maxim Biller

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maxim Biller (born 25 August 1960 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a German writer and columnist.

Early life

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Born in Prague to Soviet Jewish parents, Rada Biller and Semjon-Jevsej Biller. He emigrated with his parents and sister to West Germany in 1970, when he was ten years old.[1] After living for a long time in Hamburg and Munich, he now lives in Berlin, frequently writing about issues relating to Jewishs and German relations.[2] His maternal grandfather was Armenian.[3]

Works

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In 2003 his novel Esra excited attention when its sale was prohibited shortly after its release. Two persons had a provisional order obtained, because they claimed to have seen themselves reflected in characters in the book. A German court obliged their request to take the book from circulation on these grounds.[4][5]

His first works translated into English (by Anthea Bell) are the collection Love Today (2008), some of which appeared in The New Yorker.[6]

Beliefs

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Biller strongly identifies as a Zionist and is very critical of antisemitism within the anti-Zionist movement.[7]

Publications

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  • Wenn ich einmal reich und tot bin: Erzählungen (Someday when I'm rich and dead: Narratives), Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 1990, ISBN 3-423-11624-2 (including the narrative Harlem Holocaust)
  • Die Tempojahre: Essays und Reportagen, Deutscher Taschenbuch-Verlag, Munich 1991, ISBN 3-423-11427-4
  • Aufbruch nach Deutschland: Sechzehn Foto-Essays
  • Land der Väter und Verräter: Erzählungen, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 1994, ISBN 3-423-12356-7
  • Harlem Holocaust (short novel), Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 1998, ISBN 3-462-02761-1
  • Die Tochter, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 2000, ISBN 3-423-12933-6
  • Kühltransport, 2001
  • Deutschbuch, 2001
  • Esra : Roman, 2003, ISBN 3-462-03213-5 (distribution was prohibited from publishing by court)
  • Der perfekte Roman: Das Maxim-Biller-Lesebuch, 2003
  • Bernsteintage: Erzählungen, 2004
  • Maxim Biller Tapes (CD with songs and poems), 2004
  • I Love My Leid (video), 2004
  • Moralische Geschichten: Satirische Kurzgeschichten, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 2005 ISBN 3-462-03477-4
  • Adas größter Wunsch (children's book), 2005
  • Menschen in falschen Zusammenhängen (comedy), 2006
  • Liebe heute (short stories), 2007
  • Ein verrückter Vormittag (children's book), 2008
  • Der gebrauchte Jude (self-portrait), Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 2009, ISBN 978-3-462-03703-6
  • Kanalratten (theater play), Fischer 2013 ISBN 978-3-596-19007-2
  • Im Kopf von Bruno Schulz: Novelle, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 2013, ISBN 978-3-462-04605-2
  • Jack Happy (children's book), Atlantik, Hamburg 2014, ISBN 3-455-37008-X
  • Biografie: Roman, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 2016, ISBN 978-3-462-04898-8
  • Mama Odessa: Roman, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 2023, ISBN 978-3-462-00486-1

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Maxim Biller — internationales literaturfestival berlin".
  2. ^ "A Botanical Garden of Desire: 'Love Today' by Maxim Biller". The New York Sun. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Partisan Songs". Die Zeit. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Top German court confirms ban on true-life novel". Earthtimes.org. 12 October 2007. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  5. ^ Natascha Freundel (12 April 2007). "The bad German". Haaretz. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  6. ^ "The Mahogany Elephant" (July 2007), "The Maserati Years" (September 2007).
  7. ^ "A German-Jewish Zionist Explains Why Anti-Semitism Is All the Same". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  8. ^ Press release by Universität Kassel Archived 17 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine zur Grimm-Professur, 11. Dezember 2008.
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