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

Born in Prague to Russian Jewish parents, Rada Biller and Semjon-Jevsej Biller. He emigrated with his parents and sister to 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 Jews and Germans.[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 critical of antisemitism within the anti-Zionist movement.[7]

Publications

Awards

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.
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