Mirjam Pressler was born in Darmstadt in 1940. After attending the State College of the Visual Arts (the Städelschule) in Frankfurt, she studied languages in Munich. She began writing her first works for children and young people in the 1970s. She now lives near Munich, working as a freelance author snd translator. Her many books have already won many prizes, and in 2001 she was awarded the Carl Zuckmayer Medal for services to the German language.

Photo: © Karen Seggelke

Awards:

• 1980 Children’s and Youth Book Prize of the city of Oldenburg for Bitterschokolade
• 1982 Janusz Kroczak Medal for Wenn das Glück kommt, muss man ihm einen Stuhl hinstellen
• 1994 German Youth Literature Prize (special prize for translation)
• 1995 German Youth Literature Prize for Wenn das Glück kommt, muß man ihm einen Stuhl hinstellen
• 1995 La vache qui lit for Wenn das Glück kommt, muß man ihm einen Stuhl hinstellen
• 1998 Friedrich Bödecker Prize
• 1998 Federal German Cross of Merit First Class
• 2001 Carl Zuckmayer Medal
• 2001 Grand Prize of the German Academy for Literature for Children and Young People, Volkach
• 2001 Luchs Children’s and Youth Book Prize
• 2001 La vache qui lit for Malka Mai
• 2002 German Book Prize (children’s and youth book category) for Malka Mai
• 2004 German Book Prize (life’s work category)
• 2006 Bavarian Order of Merit
• 2009 Corine Prize for Nathan und seine Kinder