Charlotte Kerner (born 12 November 1950, Speyer) is a German writer and journalist.

Early life and education

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Charlotte Kerner spent her childhood and youth in Speyer, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. After studying economics and sociology in Mannheim, she initially worked on an urban sociology research project; this was followed by one-year study visits to Canada and the People's Republic of China.

Career

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Her experiences in Canada and China led her to write her first book in 1980 about the position of women and girls in China. As a journalist , she worked for GEO-Wissen, Die Zeit and Emma, among others, and as a press officer for the science competition Jugend forscht.

In her novels she deals with scientific topics, especially biomedicine, genetic engineering and anthropology. In these books, as well as in her biographies, she primarily explores women's lives psychologically, often focusing on natural scientists.

In 1987 she received the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Youth Literature Prize) (non-fiction category) for the first time for her biography of Lise Meitner, Lise, Atomphysikerin. Die Lebensgeschichte der Lise Meitner,[1] and then 13 years later, in 2000, in the youth book category, she received the same prize for the science fiction novel Blueprint,[2] which was made into a film in 2004 with Franka Potente in the lead role. The novel, which was published in thirteen languages, accompanied Kerner on many reading tours, including at the invitation of the Goethe Institute, to Denmark, France and Israel, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as well as the USA and Israel.

In 2012 Kerner spent three months in the People's Republic of China and taught Chinese German students at various universities as a short-term lecturer for the German Academic Exchange Service.[3]

Kerner lives with her family in Lübeck and sometimes in Pollença on Mallorca. In 2016, she collaborated with photographer Anja Doehring to produce the exhibition Shensuchtfels Mallorca in Lübeck.[4]

Selected publications

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Novels

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Non-fiction and biography

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Travel and photography

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Edited works

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Film adaptations

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Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Lise, Atomphysikerin". Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur e.V. (in German). Retrieved 1 July 2024. Preisträger 1987, Kategorie: Jugendsachbuch
  2. ^ "Blueprint". Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur e.V. (in German). Retrieved 1 July 2024. Preisträger 2000, Kategorie: Jugendbuch
  3. ^ Kerner, Charlotte. "Biografie". charlottekerner.de. Archived from the original on 26 October 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Majorca rediscovered". LFI Photographie Gmbh. 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  5. ^ Review by Sylvia Schwab in Deutschlandradio Kultur on 10 January 2012: „Verliebt in einen Urmenschen“ Charlotte Kerner: "Jane reloaded"

Further reading

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