Our Current Writer-in-Residence
This year’s writer in residence, Mario Giordano, first visited in 2004. Mario Giordano was born in Munich in 1963. He studied psychology in Düsseldorf. He has worked professionally as an author since 1992. Since 2005, he has lived in Cologne. He is known for writing novels, children’s and young adult books, and scripts for film and television, including many episodes for Tatort, a long running German detective show. In the US, he is best known for authoring the novel and screenplay for the film The Experiment.
The Writer-in-Residence Program
This spring we celebrate the 25th year of the Writer-in-Residence program sponsored by the German department. The visiting writer from Germany, Austria, or Switzerland teaches the annual spring short course “Recent Trends in German Literature” (GRM 372). When the program was started, it was designed to give Grinnell German students an opportunity to learn about East German literature. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the focus of the course has shifted to be more generally about the very thriving current literary scene in German-speaking countries. Many authors enjoy their visits and come back, some of them many times.
Guests from Previous Years
1988 Peter Gosse
1989 Axel Schulze
1990 Joachim Walther
1991 Joochen Laabs
1992 Jens Sparschuh
1993 Reinhard Bernhof
1994 Joachim Walther
1995 Jens Sparschuh
1996 Renate Möhrmann
1997 Jochem Brunow
1998 Klaus Hoffer
1999 Alfred Behrens
2000 Jens Sparschuh
2001 Oliver Schütte
2002 Joachim Walther
2003 Katharina Reschke
2004 Mario Giordano
2005 Elisabeth Reichart
2006 Jens Sparschuh
2007 Oliver Schütte
2009 Katharina Reschke
2010 Thomas Pletzinger
2011 Kristof Magnusson
2012 Mario Giordano
