Bernhard Schlink is a distinguished German author, jurist, and professor. He was born on July 6, 1944, and has made significant contributions to German literature and law throughout his career.
Schlink's career as a writer began with several detective novels featuring a main character named Selb, a play on the German word for "self." These novels gained him recognition in Germany, but it was his 1995 novel, The Reader (Der Vorleser), that brought him international acclaim. The partly autobiographical novel became a bestseller in Germany and the United States, and its translation into 39 languages allowed it to reach a global audience. In fact, The Reader was the first German book to reach the number one position in the New York Times bestseller list.
In addition to his successful writing career, Schlink has also held esteemed positions in the German legal system. He became a judge at the Constitutional Court of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1988 and has been a professor of public law and the philosophy of law at Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany since January 2006. Schlink's background in law has undoubtedly influenced his writing, providing a unique perspective that has captivated readers around the world.
Schlink's work has also been recognized in the film industry. His novel The Reader was adapted into a feature film in 2008, and his book The Other Man was adapted into a movie starring Liam Neeson. These adaptations have allowed Schlink's stories to reach even wider audiences and have solidified his status as a prominent figure in German literature.