Helene Hegemann (born 19 February 1992 in Freiburg im Breisgau) is a German writer, director, and actress. As a young writer her work was highly praised, but her

first novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

, ''Axolotl Roadkill'', sparked a plagiarism controversy. The book has since been translated in various languages.

Life

She was raised by her divorced mother, a graphic artist and painter. After her mother's death, Hegemann moved in with her father. She began writing and first gained attention with her blog. On 6 December 2007, her play, ''Ariel 15'' premiered in Berlin at Ballhaus Ost, directed by Sebastian Mauksch. Hegemann called her play a literary fairy tale piece. Deutschland Radio adapted it as a radio drama in 2008. That same year, a screenplay she wrote at 14 was developed. It was underwritten by the Federal Cultural Foundation. The resulting film, ''Torpedo'', a youth drama, premiered in 2008 at the

Hof International Film Festival The Hof International Filmfestival is a German film festival that takes place in Hof, Bavaria, every year in October. Apart from numerous foreign productions, the main focus traditionally is on German films. During six festival days, about 130 f ...

and ran in German cinemas in summer 2009. It won the Max Ophüls Prize. Hegemann credits the Jean-Luc Godard film ''Weekend'' as a major influence on her writing style. In 2009, Hegemann played a role in the episodic film '' Germany 09'', by Nicolette Krebitz. Hegemann appeared in the segment "Die Unvollendete", where

Ulrike Meinhof Ulrike Marie Meinhof (7 October 1934 – 9 May 1976) was a German left-wing journalist and founding member of the Red Army Faction (RAF) in West Germany, commonly referred to in the press as the "Baader-Meinhof gang". She is the reputed author ...

and Susan Sontag meet. Hegemann lives in Berlin with her partner Andrea Hanna Hünniger and studies at a high school for non-traditional students. In 2013, her second novel ''Jage zwei Tiger'' and in 2018 the third novel ''Bungalow'' were published.

Works

Books

*''Axolotl Roadkill'', Ullstein, 22 January 2010, **''Axolotl Roadkill / druk 1'', Translator Marcel Misset, Arbeiderspers, 2010, **''Roadkill'', Translator I. Amico Di Meane, Einaudi, 2010, **''Axolotl Roadkill'', Constable & Robinson Limited, 2012, *''Jage zwei Tiger'', Hanser, 26 August 2013, *''Bungalow'', Hanser, Berlin 2018,

Movies

* Torpedo 2008, (Director, Writer) * Axolotl Overkill 2017 (Director, Writer)

Life

Works

Books

Movies

See also

References

Further reading