Elke Heidenreich

Born in Korbach in 1943, Elke Heidenreich studied German studies, journalism, religious studies and theatre history in Munich, Hamburg and Berlin. In 1970 she began as a freelance contributor at the radio and worked for radio and television as an author and presenter. As a cabaret artist she appeared with the character Else Stratmann; her columns appeared in the magazine “Brigitte”. In 1992 she made her debut with the collection of stories “Kolonien der Liebe”. She presented “LIVE aus der Alten Oper” (ZDF) and, from 2003 to 2008, the ZDF literature programme “Lesen!”; in 2012 she joined the panel of critics of the “Literaturclub” on Swiss SRF. Afterwards she worked for five years as a publisher of music books and in 2009 founded the “Edition Elke Heidenreich”. With “Passione” and “Flieg, Gedanke” she wrote two books about music; for twelve years she collaborated with the Cologne children’s opera and wrote three opera libretti, among them “Adriana” by Marc-Aurel Floros, premiered at the Festival Rheinsberg in 2015. She has received the Goldene Kamera, the Adolf-Grimme-Preis and the Kulturpreis NRW, among others.