Parallel to his greatest literary success with the novel "Der Liebeswunsch” in 2000, Dieter Wellershoff produced numerous essays and speeches describing his life and work as a writer within an historical, biographical and political context. *The book is a selection of comments by an observant and critical contemporary who takes a close look at the past and present, at architecture and literature, politics and morals, war and society, love and death. Dieter Wellershoff compares his career as a writer with his work as an editor, his experience of war with his studies in the early days of the Federal Republic of Germany, his preoccupation with Christianity with his attitude to the Iraq war and his interest in the history of the city of Cologne with the description of changes in society as a whole. One subject touches upon the other so that an interrelated whole emerges, showing how contemporary history determines our own life history and how personal experiences end up in literature. With his versatile, captivating language, Dieter Wellershoff draws us into his world and offers the reader unexpected insights and profound discoveries. Dieter Wellershoff, born 3rd November in 1925 in Neuss, lives in Cologne. He has written novels, novellas, short stories, radio plays and autobiographical books. Wellershoff has given poetical readings at universities in Germany and abroad. He was awarded numerous prizes. His books have so far been translated into 15 languages. *Other publications with Kiepenheuer & Witsch: *Dieter Wellershoff’s literary, essayist and autobiographical works are published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch, and include a six-volume edition of his entire works. His most recent publications were the novel Der Liebeswunsch" (2000), and “Das normale Leben” (2005). Rights of Dieter Wellershoff´s books have been sold to France, Hungary, Korea, Netherlands and Poland. "
