Kerstin Hensel

Kerstin Hensel is one of the most productive and successful young writers in Germany today. She was born in 1961 in Chemnitz and published both poetry and prose from the late 1970s, both "officially" and "unofficially". She began to dedicate herself to writing in 1987, and now works in a wide variety of genres. She is best known, though, for her novels, short stories and poetry. She has won a wide range of literary prizes and scholarships. Her most important work to date is the story "Tanz am Kanal" (1994), which has received much acclaim and has been widely discussed. Hensel is a GDR writer who has survived particuarly well in the "new Germany", continuing to publish and indeed to flourish since 1989. This volume begins with a previously unpublished story by Hensel and an interview with the author held during her period as a writer-in-residence at the Centre for Contemporary German Literature at University of Wales Swansea. Subsequent essays analyze all aspects of her writing, including poetry, plays and prose and the volume concludes with a full bibliography.