Manfred Mai

Manfred Mai (born in 1949 in Winterlingen, Germany) is a German author of children’s and young adult books. After training as a painter, working in a tool factory and completing his military service, he gained his university entrance qualification through a second-chance education program. He then studied and worked as a teacher for eight years before turning to writing. From 1978 onward, he published around 150 books, primarily for children and young adults; some have been translated into numerous languages. His work includes fiction as well as nonfiction books on German history, literary history and world history. He received several awards and was, among other distinctions, nominated for the German Youth Literature Prize.