In 1998, Judith Hermann (b. 1970) burst into the spotlight with her book Sommerhaus, später (lit: The Summerhouse, Later), a bestseller that sold more than quarter of a million copies.
Part of it was written in New York, where the young author was working for Aufbau, a magazine that caters to Jewish and German-speaking immigrants in the United States. Following the book’s release, the Berlin native largely disappeared from public view for a couple of years, until she resurfaced in 2003 with the publication of her follow-up novel Nichts als Gespenster (Nothing but Ghosts). The characters in Hermann's stories are driven by a constant sense of unrest and are always on the move. They feel a great yearning, never really finding that for which they are searching, unlike Hermann who describes herself as “obstinate and stubborn,” sticking with something “even if it’s not working out”. Her latest book, Alice, a collection of short stories revolving around a woman and dealing with death, was published in 2009.
Remarkable Plays:
| 2009 | Alice |
| 2003 | Nichts als Gespenster (Nothing But Ghosts) |
| 1998 | Sommerhaus, später (lit: The Summerhouse, Later) |
