Arno Schmidt

Arno Schmidt (1914–1979) was a German writer. Born in Hamburg, he completed commercial training and initially worked as a warehouse clerk in the graphic arts industry. After military service and captivity during the Second World War, he became a freelance writer in 1947. His 1949 story collection “Leviathan” marked his literary debut. In addition to novels, Schmidt wrote essays, radio dialogues on literature, and biographical works. Among his best-known works is “Zettel’s Traum” (1970), a book of more than 1,300 pages whose complex layout initially required publication as a facsimile of the typescript. Schmidt received the Fontane Prize in 1964 and the Frankfurt Goethe Prize in 1973.