Martin Hielscher - Biography

Martin Hielscher, Ph.D., born 1957 in Hamburg, Theodor W. Adorno Chair at the European Graduate School EGS and the Dean of Media and Communications Division, is a Munich-based translator, critic, editor and author. He has lectured internationally on modern German and foreign literature and philosophy (Heidegger, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Critical Theory, media philosophy) and creative writing. Visiting professor at Washington University in St. Louis (1998), at Leipzig University (2000), and an honorary professor at Bamberg University since 2007.

Martin Hielscher has done much in shaping the landscape of contemporary German literature in the last fifteen years as the author and editor of books and numerous essays on post-war and contemporary literature. After his studies in literature and philosophy in Hamburg, he worked as the editor at Luchterhand Publishers (Hamburg, 1992–93), editor for German literature at Kiepenheuer & Witsch Publishers (Cologne, 1994–2001), and since 2001 is the program director for literature at C. H. Beck Publishing House in Munich.

He has translated, among others, William Gaddis, Lorrie Moore, Peter Carey, Richard Ford, Charles Johnson, Nuruddin Farah, Robert Goolrick and Randa Farrar into German. Martin Hielscher is the author of Beckmann lernt schießen: Erzählung (1988), the biographies on Wolfgang Koeppen (1988) and Uwe Timm (2007), and among others the anthology of new German writers Wenn der Kater kommt. Neues Erzählen – 38 deutschsprachige Autorinnen und Autoren (1996).

For Martin Hielscher, good literature has to combine the elements of beauty and entertainment, as well as to stimulate the senses. It should be able to permeate the language, 'dig deep' through its multiple layers, and show the awareness of history. Hence, the responsibility of the editor is to judge the works in the name of an imaginary future, be able to feel the changes in the current literary landscape, and bring out the works that will last for some time.

This risky task is full of challenges and excitement, due to the fact that the readers of current media society can always respond in an unexpected manner. The success in literature is something that cannot be planned and Martin Hielscher has shown enough courage in promoting works that push further the development of narrative culture in Germany, the writers of small masterpieces as landmarks of new, lively ways to tell a story and stimulate readers.