Susan Kreller, Germany


Susan Kreller, born in 1977 in Plauen, studied German and English language and literature, wrote her PhD on German translations of English children's poetry and now lives as a freelance journalist and author with her family in Bielefeld.  With her first novel "Elefanten sehen man nicht" she was awarded the Kranichsteiner Youth Literature Fellowship in 2013 and nominated for the German Youth Literature Prize. 2014 followed a further nomination for her poetry anthology "Der beste Tag aller Zeiten" (The Best Day of All Times) - and in 2015, after the nomination, she was finally awarded the prize in the youth book category for her novel "Schneeriese" (Snow Giant). In a language that is as precise as it is concise and yet rich in images, Susan Kreller ventures into highly topical, explosive issues: Her debut "Elefanten sehen man nicht" is about child abuse in a middle-class family, about many people looking away and about the civil courage of a single person. Her latest novel, "Electric Fish", which was awarded the Luchs Prize in January 2020, is about origin and homeland, family, language and the important feeling of belonging. Susan Kreller is accompanied by Dr. Ines Galling, lecturer for German and Scandinavian literature at the International Youth Library. © Foto: Ellen Luna Kara