Benedict Wells
Benedict Wells, 2021
Born
Benedict von Schirach

(1984-02-29) 29 February 1984
Munich, Germany
NationalityGerman, Swiss
OccupationWriter
Websitewww.benedictwells.de

Benedict Wells (born Benedict von Schirach, 29 February 1984[1][2]) is a German-Swiss novelist.[3]

Life and career

Wells grew up in Bavaria. At the age of six, he was sent to a state boarding school after his parents separated and had to deal with several problems. All of his school years were spent at boarding schools and homes.[4] Following his graduation from high school in 2003, he decided not to go to university but instead moved to Berlin to pursue his writing. He made a living doing odd jobs, while his manuscripts were rejected by publishers and agencies for years.[5]

His first novel Becks letzter Sommer (Beck's Last Summer) was published in 2008 and received widespread acclaim.[6] It was described by Die Zeit as "the most interesting debut of the year"[2] and was made into a film in 2015, starring Christian Ulmen. In the meantime, his third novel Fast genial (Almost Ingenious) had become a first bigger success in Germany.[7]

Wells released his fourth novel Vom Ende der Einsamkeit (The End of Loneliness), a family drama, in February 2016. He had worked seven years on it.[8] It remained on the German bestseller list for more than 80 weeks and awarded the European Union Prize for Literature.[9]

His fifth novel Hard Land was published in February 2021 and became an instant number 1 bestseller in Germany.[10] It takes place 1985 in a fictional small-town in Missouri. The novel won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis and is also described as an hommage to classic American 80s-movies like The Breakfast Club and Stand by Me (film).[11]

Wells' books have been translated into 38 languages and have sold more than one million copies worldwide.[12] He previously did not allow his books to be published as ebooks. Since 2018 his books are initially available as hardcover books and audiobooks, then only later as ebooks when the paperback edition is published. This system is intended to support bookshops.[13]

Family

He was born Benedict von Schirach and is a member of the Sorbian Schirach noble family. He is the brother of the philosopher and writer Ariadne von Schirach, a cousin of the author Ferdinand von Schirach,[14] the son of the sinologist Richard von Schirach[15] and a grandson of the Nazi youth leader and war criminal Baldur von Schirach. Wells legally changed his surname at the age of 19, because he wanted to distance himself from what his German grandfather had done and this part of his family's history, which he condemns.[16][4] His family background did not become publicly known until after the success of his third novel.[17] The name Wells was inspired by the character Homer Wells in John Irving's novel The Cider House Rules.[18]

Wells holds both German and Swiss citizenship. His mother was Swiss.[19]

Awards and honors

Books

  • Becks letzter Sommer. Diogenes, Zürich 2008, ISBN 978-3-257-06676-0.
  • Spinner. Diogenes, Zürich 2009, ISBN 978-3-257-06717-0.
  • Fast genial. Diogenes, Zürich 2011, ISBN 978-3-257-06789-7.
  • Vom Ende der Einsamkeit. Diogenes Verlag, Zürich 2016, ISBN 978-3-257-06958-7.
  • Die Wahrheit über das Lügen: Zehn Geschichten. Diogenes Verlag, Zürich 2018, ISBN 978-3-257-07030-9.
  • Hard Land. Roman. Diogenes, Zürich 2021, ISBN 978-3-257-07148-1.

References

  1. ↑ "Biografie".
  2. 1 2 Illies, Florian. "Das interessanteste Debüt des Jahres: Benedict Wells' Roman »Becks letzter Sommer". Die Zeit (in German). Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  3. ↑ Benedict Wells jetzt auch Schweizer in: Focus 7 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 Cocozza, Paula (20 March 2018). "Benedict Wells on the tear-jerker that took Europe: 'I used anger – and love'". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "Benedict Wells | EU Prize for Literature". Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  6. ↑ Becks letzter Sommer, Perlentaucher
  7. ↑ "Fast genial auf Bestsellerliste". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  8. ↑ 100 gute Bücher - Benedict Wells: "Vom Ende der Einsamkeit" in: Deutsche Welle 9 October 2018.
  9. ↑ Benedict Wells unter den Gewinnern in: Börsenblatt des Deutschen Buchhandels 5 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Benedict Wells’ neuer Roman ist Spitzenreiter des SPIEGEL-Rankings in: Buchreport 4 March 2021
  11. ↑ Eine amerikanische Jugend im Sound der 80er in: Deutschlandfunk Kultur 14 April 2021
  12. ↑ Benedict Wells erhält die "Goldene Eule" in: Buchmarkt from October 14th 2020.
  13. ↑ "E-Books".
  14. ↑ Interview mit Ariadne von Schirach: Spross einer bekannten Familie, Stuttgarter Zeitung, 2 May 2014
  15. ↑ Shapira, Avner (29 August 2019). "The sensitive novelist whose grandfather was a Nazi criminal". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  16. ↑ "A personal matter" Text by Benedict Wells on his Homepage about the reasons for his name change
  17. ↑ Grey, Tobias (24 January 2019). "In 'The End of Loneliness,' a German-Swiss Novelist Confronts Death and Loss". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  18. ↑ Söfjer, Jan (15 March 2013). "Junger Star-Autor Benedict Wells: "Ich galt als Versager"". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  19. ↑ "Benedict Wells - Munzinger Biographie".
  20. ↑ Kunstförderpreis für Benedict Wells Archived 2016-08-08 at the Wayback Machine in: Buchreport 27, October 2009.
  21. ↑ "2016 EU Prize for Literature winners announced". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  22. ↑ "Woche unabhängiger Buchhandlungen / Benedict Wells schrieb das Lieblingsbuch / boersenblatt.net". www.boersenblatt.net (in German). Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  23. ↑ Euregio-Schüler-Literaturpreis für Wells in Grenzecho.net 20 April 2018.
  24. ↑ „Hard Land“ von Benedict Wells ist das Lieblingsbuch des Deutschschweizer Buchhandels 2021 in Buchmarkt 22 April 2021.
  25. ↑ "Die Grenzen sind nicht da" in Süddeutsche.de 21 Oktober 2022.
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