While still at school she wrote her first book, "Popcorn and the Star-spangled Banner. The diary of an exchange student", which was published in 1975. She has devoted herself to her writing on a full-time basis since 1978. She writes primarily books for children and teens, but also audio plays, children's works for the stage, and songs. She has received numerous awards for her literary works. In 2004 she received the Hermann Hesse Bursary for her complete works.
Today she lives in the Münsterland region and in Tuscany.
