Robert Schneider

Robert Schneider (16 June 1961) is an Austrian writer, who published novels including Schlafes Bruder, texts for the theatre, and poetry. His works have been translated into many languages. Schlafes Bruder became the basis of a film, a ballet, an opera and several plays, and received international awards. Schneider withdrew from writing in 2007.

Career Born in Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria, Schneider was adopted at age two by a couple of peasants and grew up in the village of Meschach near Götzis, where he still lives as a freelance writer. Schneider conceived the novels as part of a trilogy, Rheintalische Trilogie (Trilogy of the Rhine Valley). He completed the trilogy with Die Unberührten, published in 2000. Based on historical events, it tells the story of two peasant children who are sent to the United States during the Great Depression. He refuses to comment on his books, saying: "Alles, was ein Schriftsteller über seine Bücher sagt, kann nur verstören. Sie müssen ihren Weg ohne ihn gehen" (Everything an author can say about his books can only unsettle. They have to go their way without him). In an interview in 2014, he said that books are media of the 19th century which do not function anymore. 1993: Robert Musil scholarship of Vienna 1994: Literature prize of the Salzburg Easter Festival 1994: Prix Médicis Étranger 1994: Premio Grinzane Cavour 1994: Civis Media Prize, audio play prize of the WDR 1995: Marieluise-Fleißer-Preis 1995: Premio Itas del Libro di Montagna (Trento) 2008: Phantastik-Preis der Stadt Wetzlar, for Die Offenbarung

Works Novels

Schlafes Bruder. Reclam, Leipzig 1992. . , Munich 1998. . Albrecht Knaus Verlag, München 2000. . Novella. Reclam, Leipzig 2001. Schatten. Reclam, Leipzig 2002. . Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin 2004. . Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin 2007.

Drama Der falsche Prinz, comedy after the fairy-tale by Wilhelm Hauff, 1983 Hitler mein. Eine Liebesrede, premiere: 1989, Götzis, Alte Krone