Magdalena Parys, born 1971 in Gdansk. As a child, she emigrated to West Berlin with her parents. After reunification, she studied education and Polish studies at the Humboldt University in Berlin. For her debut novel "Der Tunnel" (The Tunnel) she was awarded the "Golden Owl" literature prize in Austria and the literature prize of the city of Quimper in France. She received the European Union Prize for Literature for her novel "Der Magier". Her books have been translated into several languages. She writes for various European magazines and is a feature writer for the "Gazeta Wyborcza". The author lives with her family in Berlin.