Authors & Illustrators

Natascha Baumgärtner works as a freelance illustrator in Berlin. Her clients include newspapers and magazines such as “Die Zeit”, “Geo Reisen”, “New York Times” and others. When You Dream is Natascha Baumgärtner’s first picture book for children.

Mira Schönegge is an illustrator and diversity trainer. She lives in Berlin and gives ceramics courses for children. She started writing stories while traveling, when she and her daughter drove south along the Atlantic coast in a little red bus. Mira has also been to the island of Ometepe twice. It exists in real life,…

Franziska Höllbacher is an author and illustrator. She graduated in media design from Salzburg University of Applied Sciences in 2021. She wrote, illustrated and published her first picture books during her studies. Peggy’s Period Project is her first novel, which she hopes will be followed by many more. She lives in Bavaria with her partner…

Jörg Isermeyer, born in Bad Segeberg in 1968, travelled all over Europe as a street musician. After completing his studies, he chose a career as a freelance artist over a university career and now lives in Bremen as an actor, director, theatre teacher, musician and writer. His books and plays have won several awards, including…

Sandro Ramseier, born 1994 in Interlaken, studied illustration in Lucerne after training as a graphic designer. His final project was honoured with the zeugindesign Foundation prize. Since then, he has worked as a freelance comic artist and author. Shantiland is his first publication.  

Jindřich Janíček was born in Znojmo/Czech Republic. He studied animation in Zlín and later illustration at the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design in Prague. He decided to devote himself professionally to illustration and won the Czech Grand Design Award for the second time in 2023.

Ondřej Buddeus is a writer, translator and editor of the Czech magazine for contemporary poetry Psí víno. His texts have been honoured with several prizes and scholarships.

Michaela Beck grew up in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg and has a degree in architecture. She has worked as an architect, publisher’s representative and editor and after the German reunification studied “Scenic Writing” at the University of the Arts in Berlin. Since then she has worked as a freelance author, dramaturge and lecturer – mainly in the…

Simak Büchel was born in Bonn in 1977 and studied German language and literature, philosophy and biology. Doctorate on colonial literature. He has been a freelance author since 2007, introducing children to the fascination of stories with his adventure readings and taking them, acting and reading, into the worlds of fantasy. His work has been…

Writer and former paediatric and adolescent psychiatrist Volker Surmann is a satirist, author and publisher of the Berlin-based Satyr Verlag. He has been reading every Thursday at the “Brauseboys” reading theatre since 2003 and performs at poetry slams throughout Germany. After various publications for adults, “Leon Hert” is his first book for young people.

Michael Mantel began his drawing career as a storyboard artist for animated films. At the same time, he ventured into self-employment in 2003. Since then, Michael Mantel has been illustrating for publishers, advertising agencies and LIVE events, both nationally and internationally.

Judith Kleinschmidt was born in Berlin in 1977 and still lives there today. She studied film and theatre studies and took part in several further education programmes. Judith Kleinschmidt has worked on various film and theatre projects and is now an author for various children’s media.

Eilika Mühlenberg was born in Frankfurt am Main in 1969 and studied art education and German language and literature there. In Hamburg, she studied communication design at the University of Applied Sciences, specialising in children’s book illustration. Since 1999, she has worked as a freelance illustrator for various children’s book publishers, newspapers and magazines. At…

Pascale Osterwalder, born 1979 in eastern Switzerland, is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and animation artist. She studied visual communication at the University of Art and Design Zurich and, after an artist residency in New York, finally ended up in Vienna. In her artistic work, she mainly focusses on the intrinsic life of everyday objects….

Francis Kaiser, born in 1988, studied art, literature and education. After several years working in schools, museums and nurseries, she is now devoting herself to drawing and painting. “Then my name was Rita” is her picture book debut. Francis Kaiser lives in Detmold.

Lutz van Dijk, born in Berlin in 1955, was a teacher in Hamburg before working at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. He wrote his doctoral thesis on “Oppositional Teacher Behaviour 1933-1945” and played a leading role in educational peace work in the 1980s. Since 2001, he has lived in Cape Town as a writer…

Andrea Hensgen grew up in a small village on the border with France. Her childhood between barns and stables, eccentric farmers and quirky neighbours is still the treasure from which her joy of storytelling draws. Her books for children and adults have won numerous awards. Today Andrea Hensgen lives in Frankfurt am Main. www.andrea-hensgen.de    

Hannah Brückner, born in Berlin in 1989, studied illustration in Hamburg. Her first picture book “Mein fantastisches Baumhaus” (Jacoby & Stuart) was honoured with the German-French Youth Literature Prize. Hannah Brückner lives in Hamburg, where she works on her picture books and for magazines and journals. www.hannahbrueckner.de

Kristina Andres, born in Greifswald, grew up in Mecklenburg, where she now lives again. She initially studied art history and literature in Hamburg and then moved to the local University of Fine Arts there. She has been working as a freelance artist since 2002. Her children’s books are published by numerous publishers. www.kristinaandres.com