Reiner Kunze was born in 1933 in Oelnitz, Eastern Germany as the son of a miner. He graduated from Leipzig University in philosophy and journalism. In 1977 he moved to the Federal Republic of Germany. He published various poetry and volumes and the much translated prose volume Die wunderbaren Jahre with S. Fischer Verlag and was awarded many literary prizes, among them Georg Trakl prize, Geschwister Scholl Prize and the renowned Georg Büchner prize.
