Wilhelm Genazino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilhelm Genazino
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Genazino in 2016 at the Frankfurt Book Fair
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| Born | 22 January 1943 |
| Died | 12 December 2018 (aged 75) Frankfurt, Germany
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| Education | Johann Wolfgang Goethe University |
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Wilhelm Genazino (born January 22, 1943 – died December 12, 2018) was a German writer and journalist. He first worked for pardon, a magazine known for its funny and critical stories. He also wrote for Lesezeichen. In the early 1970s, he became a full-time writer. He became famous for a series of three novels called Abschaffel-Trilogie, which he finished in 1979. He wrote many more novels and two plays. He received many important awards, including the famous Georg Büchner Prize.
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Life and Work
Wilhelm Genazino was born in Mannheim, Germany. In the 1960s, he studied German language, philosophy, and sociology at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a journalist until 1965. During this time, he wrote for the funny magazine pardon and helped edit Lesezeichen.
In 1970, Genazino started working as a freelance writer. This means he wrote books and articles for different publishers without being tied to one company. In 1977, he became well-known as a serious writer with his three-part novel series, Abschaffel.
In 1990, he became a member of the Academy for Language and Poetry in Darmstadt. This is a special group for important writers and thinkers. After living in Heidelberg for many years, Genazino moved to Frankfurt in 2004. In the same year, he won the Georg Büchner Prize. This is the most important award for German literature.
Wilhelm Genazino passed away on December 12, 2018, after a short illness. He was 75 years old.
His Books and Plays
Wilhelm Genazino wrote many books and plays. His stories often explored everyday life and the thoughts of ordinary people.
Novels
- Laslinstrasse, 1965
- Abschaffel-Trilogie:
- Abschaffel, 1977
- Die Vernichtung der Sorgen (The Destruction of Worries), 1978
- Falsche Jahre (False Years), 1979
- Der Fleck, die Jacke, die Zimmer, der Schmerz (The mark, the jacket, the room, the pain), 1989
- Die Liebe zur Einfalt (The Love for Simplicity), 1990
- Die Obdachlosigkeit der Fische (The Homelessness of Fish), 1994
- Die Kassiererinnen (The Cashiers), 1998
- Ein Regenschirm für diesen Tag (An Umbrella for This Day), 2001. This book was later translated into English as The Shoe Tester of Frankfurt.
- Eine Frau, eine Wohnung, ein Roman (A Woman, a Flat, a Novel), 2003
- Der gedehnte Blick (The Extended Gaze), 2004
- Die Liebesblödigkeit (The Foolishness of Love), 2005
- Mittelmäßiges Heimweh (Mediocre Homesickness), 2007
- Das Glück in glücksfernen Zeiten (Happiness in Times Far from Happiness), 2009
- Wenn wir Tiere wären (If We Were Animals), 2011
- Bei Regen im Saal (In the Hall During Rain), 2014
- Außer uns spricht niemand über uns (No One Talks About Us Except Us), 2016
- Kein Geld, keine Uhr, keine Mütze (No Money, No Watch, No Hat), 2018
Plays
- Lieber Gott mach mich blind (Dear God, Make Me Blind), first shown in 2005.
Translated Works
Many of Genazino's books have been translated into other languages.
- Ein Regenschirm für diesen Tag was translated into English as The Shoe Tester of Frankfurt. It was also translated into Chinese, French, Italian, Greek, and Lithuanian.
- Eine Frau, eine Wohnung, ein Roman was translated into French, Spanish, Polish, Chinese, and Hebrew.
- Other works by Genazino have been translated into Greek, Latvian, and Russian.
Awards and Honours
Wilhelm Genazino received many important awards for his writing:
- Bremer Literaturpreis, 1990
- Solothurner Literaturpreis, 1995
- Literaturpreis der Bayerischen Akademie der schönen Künste, 1998
- Kranichsteiner Literaturpreis, 2001
- Georg Büchner Prize, 2004 (This is one of Germany's most important literary awards!)
- Kleist Prize, 2007
- Kassel Literary Prize for Grotesque Humor, 2013
- Goethe Plaque of the City of Frankfurt, 2014
See also
In Spanish: Wilhelm Genazino para niños
