Benedict Wells

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Benedict Wells
File:Benedict Wells 2021.jpg
Wells in 2021
Born
Benedict von Schirach

(1984-02-29) 29 February 1984 (age 42)
Munich, West Germany
OccupationWriter
Websitewww.benedictwells.de

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

Life and career

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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 2016 European Union Prize for Literature.[9] An English translation by Charlotte Collins was published in 2018. As of 2023, it is the only book by Wells to be translated into English.

His fifth novel Hard Land was published in February 2021 and became an instant number 1 bestseller in Germany.[10] It takes place in 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

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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

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Books

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  • Becks letzter Sommer. Diogenes, Zürich 2008, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
  • Spinner. Diogenes, Zürich 2009, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
  • Fast genial. Diogenes, Zürich 2011, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
  • Vom Ende der Einsamkeit. Diogenes Verlag, Zürich 2016, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
  • Die Wahrheit über das Lügen: Zehn Geschichten. Diogenes Verlag, Zürich 2018, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
  • Hard Land. Roman. Diogenes, Zürich 2021, ISBN 978-3-257-07148-1.

References

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  1. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ^ Benedict Wells jetzt auch Schweizer Archived 31 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine in: Focus 7 July 2016.
  4. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ Becks letzter Sommer, Perlentaucher
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  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. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ^ Interview mit Ariadne von Schirach: Spross einer bekannten Familie, Stuttgarter Zeitung, 2 May 2014
  15. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ^ "A personal matter" Text by Benedict Wells on his Homepage about the reasons for his name change
  17. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  18. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  19. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  20. ^ Kunstförderpreis für Benedict Wells Archived 2016-08-08 at the Wayback Machine in: Buchreport 27, October 2009.
  21. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  22. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  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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