Rainer M. Schröder

Rainer Maria Schröder (born 3 January 1951 in Rostock) is a German author known for adventure fiction for juveniles, mystery thrillers, and historical novels for adults. He also writes under the pseudonyms Ashley Carrington and Raymond M. Sheridan.

Schröder's books have sold over six million copies to date. In 1988, he received the Friedrich-Gerstäcker-Preis for his historical novel Abby Lynn – Verbannt ans Ende der Welt. A decade later, the Federal Agency for Civic Education named his novel Unter dem Jacarandabaum one of the "100 Novels Most Worth Reading" of 20th-century world literature. That same year, he was awarded the 3rd International Eifel-Literaturpreis for Das Geheimnis der weißen Mönche. In 2003, his novel Das Geheimnis des Kartenmachers earned both the Literature Award from the Youth Book Jury Moers and the distinction of "Book of the Month" by the Youth Book Committee Göttingen. He received the prestigious Buxtehude Bull youth literature award in 2005 for Die Lagune der Galeeren.

Schröder's works have been translated into more than a dozen languages, including French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Turkish, Czech, Slovak, Latvian, Dutch, Japanese, and Russian.

Biography Early life and education Rainer Maria Schröder grew up in East Berlin. Shortly before the construction of the Berlin Wall, he fled to West Germany with his family, where they initially lived in a refugee camp. The family later relocated to Dortmund and Düsseldorf, where Schröder completed his Abitur (secondary school diploma) and studied opera singing. During this period, he played guitar in the rock band Union Jack. Career At his father’s urging—a former head physician at Berlin's Charité hospital—Schröder pursued an academic path. After completing a two-year officer training program in the German Air Force, he worked as a trainee journalist for the newspaper Rheinische Post. In 1974, he enrolled at the University of Cologne to study law, while also pursuing courses in German philology, theater studies, and film and television studies. Concurrently, he wrote articles for various newspapers and the broadcasting station WDR.

Schröder abandoned his academic career in 1975 after Franz Schneider Verlag purchased his debut juvenile novel, In die Falle gelaufen. He subsequently published works with Franz Schneider Verlag, Stalling, and Heyne Verlag. In 1977, he debuted as a playwright. After a nine-month stint as an editor, Schröder transitioned to full-time writing. Personal life and travels In 1980, Schröder and his wife, Helga, moved to a farm in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. An avid traveler, he often gathers research for his adventure novels. He currently resides in Palm Coast, Florida. Literary works Schröder's novels frequently explore historical settings between the 12th and 19th centuries, exemplified by works such as Das Geheimnis des Kartenmachers, Das Vermächtnis des alten Pilgers, and Das Kloster der Ketzer. Exceptions include novels set during World War II, like Die lange Reise des Jakob Stern, and his foray into science-fiction with the two-part novel Liberty 9. He also authored the Kommissar Klicker series, released as both juvenile books and audiobooks. Non-fiction and music Schröder has written non-fiction works on music, including a 1980 biography of the band Scorpions, published by Heyne Verlag. A longtime friend of the band, he accompanied them on tours across France, England, and California, and spent extensive time in their recording studio.

Awards 1984: Silbernes Schneider-Buch (Franz Schneider Verlag) 1988: Friedrich-Gerstäcker-Preis for Abby Lynn – Verbannt ans Ende der Welt 1993: Goldenes Schneider-Buch (Franz Schneider Verlag) 1998: 3rd International Eifel-Literaturpreis for Das Geheimnis der weißen Mönche 1998: Book of the Month Prize (Deutsche Akademie für Kinder- und Jugendbücher) for Mein Feuer brennt im Land der fallenden Wasser 1999: JuBu Buch des Monats for Felix Faber – Übers Meer und durch die Wildnis 2003: Moerser Jugendbuchpreis for Das Geheimnis des Kartenmachers 2003: Book of the Month Prize (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Jugendbuch Göttingen) for Das Geheimnis des Kartenmachers 2004: Buxtehuder Bulle for Die Lagune der Galeeren 2016: Spandauer Jugendliteraturpreis for Himmel ohne Sterne