Patrick Süskind facts for kids

Patrick Süskind (born March 26, 1949) is a famous German writer and screenwriter. He is best known for his exciting novel, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, which was first published in 1985.

Early Life and Education

Patrick Süskind was born in Ambach, a town in Bavaria, Germany. His father, Wilhelm Emanuel Süskind, was a writer and journalist. His mother, Annemarie Süskind, was a sports teacher. Patrick also had an older brother, Martin Erhard Süskind, who became a journalist.

After finishing school and doing his community service, Patrick Süskind studied history. He went to the University of Munich and also studied in Aix-en-Provence, France. He studied from 1968 to 1974, learning about history from the Middle Ages to modern times. Even though he studied for many years, he never officially graduated from university. After his studies, he moved to Paris. There, he spent his time writing short stories and screenplays.

Patrick Süskind's Career

Patrick Süskind became well-known in 1981 with his play called Der Kontrabaß (The Double Bass). This play was first created for radio. It became very popular in theaters, being performed over 500 times in just one season (1984–1985). The play features only one character, a musician who is both funny and a bit sad.

Screenwriting Success

In the 1980s, Süskind also found success writing for television. He worked with director Helmut Dietl on popular TV shows like Monaco Franze (1983) and Kir Royal (1987). In 1996, he won an award for his screenplay for the film Rossini, which was also directed by Dietl. Süskind has chosen not to accept other awards he was offered, showing he prefers to stay out of the spotlight.

His Most Famous Novel

His most famous work is the novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, published in 1985. This book was a huge bestseller in Germany for nine years! It has been translated into 49 different languages. As of 2019, over 20 million copies of Perfume have been sold around the world. The BBC even included it on a list of the 100 best-loved novels. In 2006, the book was made into a movie called Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, directed by Tom Tykwer.

Süskind has written other books too. These include:

• A short novel called The Pigeon (1988).
• The Story of Mr Sommer (1991), which had illustrations by the French cartoonist Sempé.
• A collection of short stories called Three Stories and a Reflection (1996).
• An essay titled On Love and Death (2006).

Personal Life

Patrick Süskind lives a very private life. He likes to stay away from public attention. He divides his time between Munich, Germany, and France. He rarely gives interviews, and not many photos of him have been published.

He is married to Tanja Graf, who is a German publisher. They have one son together.

Selected Works

• Der Kontrabaß (The Double Bass) (play, 1981)
• Das Parfum (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) (novel, 1985)
• Die Taube (The Pigeon) (novella, 1988)
• Die Geschichte von Herrn Sommer (The Story of Mr Sommer) (novella, 1991)
• Drei Geschichten und eine Betrachtung (Three Stories and a Reflection) (stories, 1996)
• Über Liebe und Tod (On Love and Death) (essay, 2006)

See also

In Spanish: Patrick Süskind para niños