Nikolaus Nützel was born in 1967 in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. After training as a foreign correspondent and interpreter he completed a course at the Munich School of Journalism. At the same time he also studied journalism and romance languages at Munich University. Since 1994 Nikolaus Nützel has worked as a freelance journalist for Bavarian Radio and other publice service radio stations, and also for various print media. In his capacity as an author he has already written a number of travel guides; however, Sprache oder Was den Menschen zum Menschen macht (‘Language, or What Makes Humans Human’) is his first book for children. Nikolaus Nützel and his family live in Munich.

Photo: © private

Awards:

• 1993 Winner of the Scottish Youth Council’s European Young Journalists Award
• 2001 Awarded First Prize by the Deutsches Institut für Altersvorsorge for Bavarian Radio feature ‘More old people — fewer unemployed? The future of pensions’
• 2006 Awarded Second Prize in the Verband der PSD Banken journalism competition for Bavarian Radio feature ‘Allein gegen den Strom — Ein Besuch bei Deutschlands kleinster Bank’ (‘Swimming alone against the tide — A visit to Germany’s smallest bank’)
• 2007 Awarded Special Prize in the Rheinisch-Westfälische Genossenschaftsverband’s journalism competition ‘Wirtschaft vor Ort’ (‘Economics on the shop floor’) for Bavarian Radio feature ‘Swimming alone against the tide — A visit to Germany’s smallest bank’