Maxim Biller

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Maxim Biller (born 25 August 1960 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a German writer and columnist.

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Born in Prague to Soviet Jewish parents, Rada Biller and Semjon-Jevsej Biller. He emigrated with his parents and sister to West Germany in 1970, when he was ten years old. [1] After living for a long time in Hamburg and Munich, he now lives in Berlin, frequently writing about issues relating to Jewishs and German relations. [2] His maternal grandfather was Armenian. [3]

In 2003 his novel Esra excited attention when its sale was prohibited shortly after its release. Two persons had a provisional order obtained, because they claimed to have seen themselves reflected in characters in the book. A German court obliged their request to take the book from circulation on these grounds. [4] [5]

His first works translated into English (by Anthea Bell) are the collection Love Today (2008), some of which appeared in The New Yorker. [6]

Biller strongly identifies as a Zionist and is very critical of antisemitism within the anti-Zionist movement. [7]

Publications

Awards

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References

  1. "Maxim Biller — internationales literaturfestival berlin".
  2. "A Botanical Garden of Desire: 'Love Today' by Maxim Biller". The New York Sun . 26 June 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  3. "Partisan Songs". Die Zeit . Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  4. "Top German court confirms ban on true-life novel". Earthtimes.org. 12 October 2007. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  5. Natascha Freundel (12 April 2007). "The bad German". Haaretz . Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  6. "The Mahogany Elephant" (July 2007), "The Maserati Years" (September 2007).
  7. "A German-Jewish Zionist Explains Why Anti-Semitism Is All the Same". Tablet Magazine . Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  8. Press release by Universität Kassel Archived 17 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine zur Grimm-Professur, 11. Dezember 2008.