Sebastian David Fitzek (born 13 October 1971 in
West-Berlin
West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
) is a German writer and journalist. His first book, ''
Therapy'' (''
dt.'' ), was a bestseller in
Germany in 2006, toppling ''
The Da Vinci Code'' from the first position. Fitzek is currently one of the most successful writers of Germany.
Biography
Sebastian Fitzek was born in
West Berlin,
West Germany and grew up with his father, headmaster of the Lilienthal-Gymnasium in
Berlin-Lichterfelde, and his mother, a teacher. After High school in Charlottenburger Wald-Gymnasium, Fitzek started studying
veterinary, but stopped after 3 months. He attended
law school
A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction.
Law degrees Argentina
In Argentina, ...
until the first state examination, earned his degree in
copyright and worked then as editor-in-chief and program director for different radio stations in Germany.
He wrote his first book titled ''Professor Udolphs Buch der Namen'' with Jürgen Udolph, which came out in 2005. Since 2006, Fitzek started to write psycho-thriller novels, which all became a best-seller. His very first novel was ''Therapy'' (''
dt.'' ). He got his idea for ''Therapy'' in 2000, waiting for a friend in a waiting room from an orthopedist. After 13 cancellations from different editors, he finally released his book in July 2006 under Droemer Knaur Verlag. The Odeon Film AG bought the movie rights for ''Therapy''. In 2007, Therapy was nominated for best crime-debut for the Friedrich-Glauser-Award. His next novel, ''Amok game.'' (''
dt.'' ), was released in 2007 and Goldkind Film AG bought the movie rights for it. In 2012, his very first film version of ''The Child'' (''
dt.'' ) came out.
On 29 October 2016, he published his book ''The Package'' (''
dt.'' ).
In 2017, he published ''EightNight.'' (''
dt.'' ) and his first children's book called ''Pupsi & Stinki'' together with illustrator Jörn Stollmann. In 2017, ''EightNight'' was the bestselling work of fiction in Germany.
In 2018, ''The Package'' was the bestselling work of fiction in Germany. ''The Undercover Patient'' (''
dt.'' ) peaked at number 3.
End of February 2018, he created the ''Viktor Crime Awards'', where ''a new voice for thriller and crime literature'' will be awarded. The first winner was
writer Michaela Kastel with ''So dark the forest'' (''
dt.'' ).
In November 2020 ''The Package'' was published in English by Head of Zeus, translated by
Jamie Bulloch
Jamie Bulloch (born 6 September 1969) is a British historian and translator of German literature.
Life and work
Jamie was born at East Dulwich Hospital in 1969. He grew up in Tooting, south-west London, attending first Rosemead School, then Whi ...
.
Influences
According to Fitzek himself, he was inspired by
Enid Blyton,
Michael Ende and Alfred Weidemann during his childhood and later by
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
,
Michael Crichton
John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavily feature tech ...
and
John Grisham. Today, he reads everything written by
Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben is an American writer of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past, murders, or fatal accidents and have multiple twists. Among his novels a ...
.
Personal life
Sebastian Fitzek lives in Berlin. He married his wife in 2010. In August 2019, he announced his separation from his wife via
Facebook. Fitzek has 3 children.
Works
Fiction (Psychothriller)
Fiction (Collaboration)
Non-Fiction
Audio books
Film versions
Film
Theater shows
Board and card games
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Sebastian Fitzek Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzek, Sebastian
Living people
1971 births
German male writers
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