„Every second of our existence
we are influenced by history.“
(Citizen of all Times)
People living history in historical novels
Welcome
How do ordinary people experience history? That is the question I want to answer in my historical novels, because it has interested me since I was a child. In history lessons and in most non-fiction books about history, we learn a lot about the rulers and other important figures who influenced history. The effects on the majority of people are often only dealt with in passing, even though contemporary witness accounts and cultural histories are gradually receiving more attention.
My family was extremely strongly influenced by history. The generation of my grandparents originates from England, East Prussia, East Germany and Galicia (today's Ukraine). The Second World War and the post-war years in particular turned their world upside down, and when I heard what grandparents, great aunts or other relatives had to tell I often thought: "That's material for a novel."
And so the passion for history and the passion for writing came together quite naturally at some point. I have been writing since I could write - of course, my "literary" output was rather simple at the beginning. But I can't remember a time when I wasn't writing something or making up stories. When I wasn't writing, I was reading - mostly historical novels. Little by little, my writing developed, it has remained an integral part of my life and I am delighted that it is no longer a hobby but a - beloved - profession. It is always a pleasure when readers write to me about how they experience the books, and sometimes how their own memories (or knowledge from their own family history) are awakened by them. At this point, a big thank you to those who take the time to tell me something like this!
There will be many more projects and they all deal with the question: How did people experience history? Most of my books are available only in German, but there is an English translation of the family saga inspired by my own family history: The Schönaus - A German family.
For some more information in English about my work and myself, you can check out the interview I gave to my colleague Caron Allan.
