Juli Zen German writer, novelist Country: Germany

Biography of Juli Zeh

Juli Zeh is a German writer and novelist born in Bonn in 1974. She studied law in Passau and Leipzig from 1993 to 1998 and then attended the German Literature Institute in Leipzig from 1996 to 2000, where she obtained her diploma as a specialist. Zeh went on to complete internships and study at the United Nations in New York, as well as working for the UN in Zagreb, Bosnia, and Herzegovina. She also undertook further education in law, and from 2001 to 2003, she worked as a legal assistant at the district court in Leipzig.

Zeh made her literary debut in 1996 when one of her short stories was published in a collection. Her stories and essays were subsequently featured in various anthologies and collections. In 2001, Zeh published her first book, the novel "Eagles and Angels." It was translated into 29 languages and won the German Book Prize for Best Debut in 2002. She is also the author of the essay collection "Silence is Also Noise: A Journey through Bosnia" (2002) and the novel "Gaming Instinct" (2004). Zeh's works have been recognized with several literary awards, including the Holderlin Prize in 2003.

Zeh's novel "Eagles and Angels" is a fresh European bestseller that caused a sensation in Germany. It explores the serious question of the historical responsibility of contemporary Western civilization in its hasty and somewhat thoughtless desire to "expand to the East." The story follows a protagonist who is an expert in international law and becomes involved in an investigation into the suicide of a friend, the daughter of a drug baron. Through this investigation, he unexpectedly uncovers the deep connection between high politics and the grandiose drug trade. Zeh is considered one of the prominent young writers in Germany.

In Russia, only her first novel, "Eagles and Angels," written in 2001, has been translated. The book manipulates various literary genres, such as detective fiction, thriller, travelogue, and love story, captivating readers with its exploration of international law, drug trafficking, and love.