Daniel Kehlmann (; born 13 January 1975) is a German-language novelist and playwright of both Austrian and German nationality.Interview with Kehlmann
in the ''Tagesspiegel''. His novel ''Die Vermessung der Welt'' (translated into English by

Carol Brown Janeway Carol Janet Brown Janeway (1 February 1944 – 3 August 2015) was a Scottish-American editor and literary translator into English. She is best known for her translation of Bernhard Schlink's ''The Reader''. Biography Carol Janet Brown was bor ...

as ''

Measuring the World ''Measuring the World'' (german: Die Vermessung der Welt) is a novel by German author Daniel Kehlmann, published in 2005 by Rowohlt Verlag, Reinbek. The novel re-imagines the lives of German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss and German geograph ...

'', 2006) is the best selling book in the German language since

Patrick Süskind Patrick Süskind (; born 26 March 1949) is a German writer and screenwriter, known best for his novel '' Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'', first published in 1985. Early life Süskind was born in Ambach, Bavaria. His father was writer and jo ...

's ''

Perfume Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...

'' was released in 1985. In an ironic way, it deals with

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, p ...

, one of the world's best-known naturalists of the 18th and 19th centuries, and Humboldt's relationship with the mathematician

Carl Friedrich Gauss Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (; german: Gauß ; la, Carolus Fridericus Gauss; 30 April 177723 February 1855) was a German mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to many fields in mathematics and science. Sometimes refer ...

. According to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', it was the world's second-best selling novel in 2006. All his subsequent novels reached the number one spot on Germany's ''

Spiegel Spiegel is German, Yiddish, and Dutch for "mirror". More specifically, it may refer to: Publications * '' Der Spiegel'', a weekly German magazine * Der Spiegel (online), the online sibling of ''Der Spiegel'' Political * Spiegel scandal, a 1962 ...

'' bestseller list and were translated into English. He collaborated with

Jonathan Franzen Jonathan Earl Franzen (born August 17, 1959) is an American novelist and essayist. His 2001 novel ''The Corrections'', a sprawling, satirical family drama, drew widespread critical acclaim, earned Franzen a National Book Award, was a Pulitzer Pr ...

and Paul Reitter on Franzen's 2013 book '' The Kraus Project''. Kehlmann's play ''The Mentor'', translated by

Christopher Hampton Sir Christopher James Hampton ( Horta, Azores, 26 January 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' based on the novel of the same name and the film ...

, opened at

Theatre Royal, Bath The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audien ...

, in April 2017 starring

F. Murray Abraham F. Murray Abraham (born Murray Abraham; October 24, 1939) is an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he came to prominence for his acclaimed leading role as Antonio Salieri in the drama film '' Amadeus'' (1984) for which he wo ...

and transferred to the London West End in July 2017. In October 2017, his play ''Christmas Eve'', also translated by Christopher Hampton, premiered at the Theatre Royal. His novella ''

You Should Have Left ''You Should Have Left'' is a 2020 American psychological horror film written and directed by David Koepp, based on the 2017 book of the same name by Daniel Kehlmann. It stars Kevin Bacon, and Amanda Seyfried. Jason Blum served as a producer thr ...

'' (2016) was adapted into a movie starring

Kevin Bacon Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...

and

Amanda Seyfried Amanda Michelle Seyfried ( ; born December 3, 1985) is an American actress. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she began modeling at age 11 and ventured into acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery on the CBS soap opera ...

. Kehlmann's highly praised novel '' Tyll'' (2017), which sold more than 600.000 copies in German alone and was published in the US in February 2020, is currently being adapted into a TV series for

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

by the makers of ''

Dark Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown. Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low lum ...

''. The novel was shortlisted for th
2020 International Booker Prize
Kehlmann's play ''Die Reise der Verlorenen'' was adapted for BBC radio by

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

under the title
The Voyage of the St. Louis.
'

Life and career

Kehlmann was born in Munich, the son of the television director

Michael Kehlmann Michael Kehlmann (21 September 1927 – 1 December 2005) was an Austrian television film director and theatre director, screenwriter and actor. During 1951–1953, Kehlmann was the manager of the "Kleines Theater im Konzerthaus", Vienna. He was awa ...

and the actress Dagmar Mettler. His family moved to his father's hometown Vienna at the age of six. His paternal grandparents were born

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

, and his father was in a concentration camp during WWII. Kehlmann currently lives in New York City and Berlin. Since 2015, Kehlmann has held the Eberhard Berent Chair at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

. He is a member of the

Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung The Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung (in English German Academy for Language and Literature) was founded on 28 August 1949, on the 200th birthday of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt. It is seated in Darmstadt, ...

. 2016–2017 he was a fellow at the New York Public Library's Cullman Center for Writers and Scholars. The novel '' Tyll'' was shortlisted for the

International Booker Prize The International Booker Prize (formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize) is an international literary award hosted in the United Kingdom. The introduction of the International Prize to complement the Man Booker Prize was announc ...

. Kehlmann also works as a screenwriter and wrote the script for the TV film ''Das letzte Problem''. He adapted

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novella ...

's novel '' Confessions of Felix Krull Confidence Man'' for an upcoming movie.

Awards and honors

*2006

Kleist Prize The Kleist Prize is an annual German literature prize. The prize was first awarded in 1912, on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the death of Heinrich von Kleist. The Kleist Prize was the most important literary award of the Weimar Re ...

*2007 WELT Literaturpreis *2007 Grand Prix du livre des dirigeants *2008

Thomas-Mann-Preis Thomas Mann Prize (''German'': Thomas-Mann-Preis) is a literary prize of Germany. In full the title is "Thomas Mann Prize of the city of Lübeck and the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts". It is given in alternate years in Lübeck and in Munich. The ...

*2008 PO Enquist Pris *2010 Prix Cévennes du roman européen *2012

Nestroy Theatre Prize The Nestroy Theatre Prize is an Austrian theatre award named after the poet Johann Nestroy Johann Nepomuk Eduard Ambrosius Nestroy (; 7 December 1801 – 25 May 1862) was a singer, actor and playwright in the popular Austrian tradition of the ...

, Best play – Authors prize for ''Geister in Princeton'' *2018

Friedrich-Hölderlin-Preis Friedrich-Hölderlin-Preis is a German literary prize. It was established in 1983. In June, the City of Bad Homburg vor der Höhe annually awards the prize. It is endowed with 20,000 euros and is awarded as a general literary award for outstanding ...

*2018 Frank-Schirrmacher-Preis *2019

Anton Wildgans Prize The Anton Wildgans Prize of Austrian Industry is a literary award that was endowed in 1962 by the Federation of Austrian Industry. The prize is worth 15,000 Euro and is granted by an independent jury to a young or middle-aged writer of Austrian c ...

*2019 Schubart Literaturpreis *2021 Elisabeth-Langgässer-Literaturpreis

Bibliography

Novels

* ''Beerholms Vorstellung'' (1997). * ''Unter der Sonne'' (1998). * ''Mahlers Zeit'' (1999). * ''Der fernste Ort'' (2001). *''Ich und Kaminski'' (2003). '' Me and Kaminski'', translated by Carol Brown Janeway (Pantheon, 2008). * ''Die Vermessung der Welt'' (2005). ''

'', translated by

(Pantheon, 2006). * ''Requiem für einen Hund'' (2008). * ''Leo Richters Porträt'' (2009). * ''Ruhm. Ein Roman in neun Geschichten'' (2009). ''Fame. A Novel in Nine Stories'', translated by Carol Brown Janeway (Pantheon, 2010). * ''Lob: Über Literatur'' (2010). * ''F''. (2013). ''F. A Novel.'' Translated by Carol Brown Janeway (Pantheon, 2014). * ''Du hättest gehen sollen'' (2016). ''

'', translated by

Ross Benjamin Ross Benjamin is an American translator of German literature and a 2015 Guggenheim Fellow. He has won the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize for his translation of Michael Maar's ''Speak, Nabokov''. He also received a commendation from the j ...

(Pantheon, 2016). * ''Tyll'' (2017). '' Tyll'', translated by Ross Benjamin (Pantheon, 2020).

Plays

*''Geister in Princeton'' (2013). *''Der Mentor'' (2014). ''The Mentor'', translated by Christopher Hampton (Faber and Faber, 2017). *''Heilig Abend'' (2017). ''Christmas Eve'', translated by

(Faber and Faber, 2017). * ''Die Reise der Verlorenen'' (2018)

Filmography

*''Unter der Sonne'' (directed by

Baran Bo Odar Baran bo Odar (born 18 April 1978) is a German film and television director and screenwriter. He is known for co-creating the Netflix series ''Dark'' (2017–2020) and '' 1899'' (2022) with his creative and romantic partner, Jantje Friese. His ...

, 2006; short story) *' (Isabel Kleefeld, 2012; novel) *''

'' (

Detlev Buck Detlev Buck (; born 1 December 1962 in Bad Segeberg) is a German film director, actor, producer and screenwriter. Life and work From his first short film at the age of 21 in 1982, ', he has remained one of the most important filmmakers working ...

, 2012; novel and screenplay) *'' Me and Kaminski'' ( Wolfgang Becker, 2015; novel) *''Das letzte Problem'' (

Karl Markovics Karl Markovics is an Austrian actor and film director. He was born in Vienna, Austria. Biography Markovics' mother worked as a clerk and his father was a bus driver. Markovics did not want to go into a professional career but wanted to become a ...

, 2019; screenplay) *''

'' (

David Koepp David Koepp (; born June 9, 1963) is an American filmmaker. Koepp is the ninth most successful screenwriter of all time in terms of U.S. box office receipts with a total gross of over $2.3 billion. Koepp has achieved both critical and commercial ...

, 2020; novel) *
Verhör in der Nacht
' (

Matti Geschonneck Matti may refer to: * Matti (given name), people with the given name * Matti (surname), people with the surname * Matti, Karnataka, a village in India * '' Matti: Hell Is for Heroes'', a 2006 film about Matti Nykänen See also * Masa (disambigu ...

, 2020; screenplay, based on Kehlmann's stageplay ''Christmas Eve'') *'' Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull'' (

, 2021; screenplay) *
Nebenan
' (

Daniel Brühl Daniel César Martín Brühl González Domingo (; born 16 June 1978) is a Spanish-German actor and filmmaker. He received his first German Film Award for Best Actor for his roles in '' Das Weisse Rauschen (The White Sound)'' (2001), ''Nichts ...

, 2021; screenplay)

References

External links

*
James Wood reviews Daniel Kehlmann's novel ''Tyll,''
''The New Yorker,'' February 2020

''New York Times,'' February 2020
Jonathan Franzen interviews Daniel Kehlmann
Salon, August 2014
The Kraus Project: A Talk by Jonathan Franzen, Daniel Kehlmann, and Paul Reitter
October 2014
Reading Daniel Kehlmann
, by Arnon Grunberg.

Words Without Borders ''Words Without Borders'' (''WWB'') is an international magazine open to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world's best writing and authors who are not easily accessible to English-speaking readers. The ...

, 6 April 2009
"Humboldt's Gift"
''The Nation'', 30 April 2007.
Daniel Kehlmann Profile
''Guardian'', November 2014
Q & A with Daniel Kehlmann
''Financial Times,'' October 24, 2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kehlmann, Daniel 1975 births Living people 20th-century German novelists 21st-century German novelists 20th-century Austrian novelists 21st-century Austrian novelists German male novelists Austrian male writers Magic realism writers Academic staff of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz German people of Austrian-Jewish descent Kleist Prize winners Anton Wildgans Prize winners 20th-century German male writers 21st-century German male writers