Sebastian David Fitzek (born 13 October 1971 in West Berlin) is a German writer and journalist. His first book, Therapy (dt. ), was a bestseller in Germany in 2006, toppling The Da Vinci Code from the first position. Fitzek is currently one of the most successful writers of Germany.
Biography Sebastian Fitzek was born in West Berlin and grew up with his father, headmaster of the Lilienthal-Gymnasium in Berlin-Lichterfelde, and his mother, a teacher. After attending High school at the Charlottenburger Wald-Gymnasium, Fitzek began studying for a degree in veterinary medicine but withdrew from the degree programme after 3 months. He attended law school until the first state examination, earned his doctorate degree in copyright and then worked as editor-in-chief and program director for different radio stations in Germany.
He wrote his first book titled Professor Udolphs Buch der Namen with Jürgen Udolph, which came out in 2005. Since 2006, Fitzek started to write psycho-thriller novels, which all became a best-seller.
His very first novel was Therapy (dt. ). He got his idea for Therapy in 2000 while waiting for a girlfriend in the waiting room of an orthopedist's office. It contains similar themes to the urban legend the Vanishing Hotel Room (also known as The Vanishing Lady), however, inspiration from the story has not been officially confirmed. After 13 cancellations from different editors, he finally released his book in July, 2006 under Droemer Knaur Verlag. Therapy awas turned into a TV series in 2023. In 2007, Therapy was nominated for best crime-debut for the Friedrich-Glauser-Award.
His next novel, Amok game. (dt. ), was released in 2007 and Goldkind Film AG bought the movie rights for it. In 2012, his very first film version of The Child (dt. ) came out.
On 29 October 2016, he published his book The Package (dt. ).
In 2017, he published EightNight. (dt. ) and his first children's book called Pupsi & Stinki together with illustrator Jörn Stollmann. In 2017, EightNight was the bestselling work of fiction in Germany.
In 2018, The Package was the bestselling work of fiction in Germany. The Inmate (dt. ) peaked at number 3.
Near the end of February 2018, he created the Viktor Crime Awards, where a new voice for thriller and crime literature would be awarded. The first winner was writer Michaela Kastel with So Dark the Forest (dt. ).
In November, 2020 The Package was published in English by Head of Zeus, translated by Jamie Bulloch.
Influences According to Fitzek himself, he was inspired by Enid Blyton, Michael Ende and Alfred Weidemann during his childhood and later by Stephen King, Michael Crichton and John Grisham. Today, he reads everything written by Harlan Coben.
Personal life Sebastian Fitzek lives in Berlin. He married his wife in 2010. In August 2019, he announced his separation from his wife via Facebook. Fitzek has 3 children.
Works Fiction (Psychothriller) YearOriginal titleEnglish versionISBNEditorGenreWriterRef.2006Therapy (transl. by Sally-Ann Spencer)Knaur TaschenbuchverlagPsycho-thrillerSebastian Fitzek2007Amok (transl. by Jamie Lee Searle)2008The Child (transl. by John Brownjohn)The Soul Breaker (transl. by John Brownjohn)2010Splinter (transl. by John Brownjohn)2011The Eye Collector (transl. by John Brownjohn)Do not fall asleep2012The Eye Hunter (transl. by John Brownjohn)2013The Nightwalker (transl. by Jamie Lee Searle)NoahBastei Lübbe2014Passenger 23 (transl. by Jamie Bulloch)Knaur Taschenbuchverlag2015The blood schoolBastei LübbeMax Rhode (Pseudonym)The Joshua-profileSebastian Fitzek2016The Package (transl. by Jamie Bulloch)Droemer Knaur Verlag2017EightNightKnaur TaschenbuchverlagSeat 7a (transl. by Steve Anderson)Droemer Knaur Verlag2018The Inmate (transl. by Jamie Bulloch)2019The Gift (transl. by Jamie Bulloch)2020Walk Me Home (transl. by Jamie Bulloch)2021 Playlist (transl. by Jamie Bulloch)2022MimikMimik (transl. by Jamie Bulloch)2023Die Einladung
Fiction (Collaboration) YearOriginal titleEnglish versionISBNEditorGenreWriterRef.2008Animal HeroesDer Club VerlagNon-fictionCharlotte Link, Sebastian Fitzek, Iny Lorentz, Jeffery Deaver, Amy Tan, Wolf Serno, Elke Heidenreich, Eva Völler (and many more)2009Deadly GiftsRowohlt Taschenbuch VerlagCrimeSimon Beckett, Linwood Barclay, Sebastian Fitzek, Chris Mooney, Jay Bonansinga, Felicitas Mayall, Leena Lehtolainen, Kate Pepper, Oliver Bottini, Veit Heinichen, Friedrich Ani.2010White Snow, red blood: Murderous good Christmas-StoriesUllstein Hardcover VerlagFriedrich Ani, Anne Chaplet, Zoran Drvenkar, Sebastian Fitzek, Elisabeth Herrmann, Robert Hültner, Linus Reichlin, Andrea Maria Schenkel, Heinrich Steinfest, Michael Theurillat, Jan Costin Wagner.P.S. I kill you.Knaur TB VerlagThrillerSebastian Fitzek, Val McDermid, Thomas Thiemeyer, Torkil Damhaug, Petra Busch, Michael Connelly, Markus Heitz, Michael Koryta, Steve Mosby, Judith Merchant, Jens Lapidus, Markus Stromiedel, Jilliane Hoffman.2012Cut off.Sebastian Fitzek, Michael Tsokos2016Murder on Hellweg VIII.GRAFIT VerlagCrimeBernhard Aichner, Mechtild Borrmann, Horst Eckert, Jürgen Ehlers, Sebastian Fitzek, Frl. Krise und Frau Freitag, Sascha Gutzeit, Georg Haderer, Kathrin Heinrichs, Carsten Sebastian Henn, Elisabeth Herrmann, Susanne Kliem, Ria Klug, Judith Merchant, Gisa Pauly, Till Raether, Arno Strobel, Su Turhan, Matthias Wittekindt, Rainer Wittkamp, Jörg Steinleitner, Christa Bernuth, Theresa Prammer2019AurisDroemer TB VerlagThrillerWriter: Vincent Kliesch / Idea: Sebastian Fitzek2020Auris 2. - "The frequency of death"Identity 1142Droemer HC VerlagCrimeWulf Dorn, Andreas Gruber, Romy Hausmann, Daniel Holbe, Vincent Kliesch, Charlotte Link, Ursula Poznanski, Frank Schätzing, Michael Tsokos, Sebastian Fitzek, Melanie Bottke, Annika Bühnemann, Livia Fröhlich, Saskia Hehl, Robert Hönatsch, Vanessa Krypczyk, Pia Schmidt, Anne Schmitz, Julian Gabriel Schneider, Mordechai SImons, Gabriele Störzinger, Kathy Tailor, Michael Thode
Non-Fiction YearOriginal titleEnglish translationISBNEditorWriterRef.2000The Unknown Type Of UseBerliner WissenschaftsverlagSebastian Fitzek2002The 10 Biggest Radio-SecretsBooks On DemandRüdiger Kreklau, Sebastian Fitzek2005Professor Udolph's Book of Names: Where They Come From - What They MeanC. Bertelsmann VerlagJürgen Udolph, Sebastian Fitzek2017Pupsi & StinkiPattloch GeschenkbuchWriter: Sebastian Fitzek / Illustrator: Jörn Stollmann2019Fish climbing treesDroemer HC VerlagSebastian Fitzek
Audio books YearOriginal titleEnglish versionSpeakerRef.2007TherapySimon JägerAmok gameThe Child2008The Soul BreakerSimon Jäger, Sebastian Fitzek2009SplinterSimon Jäger2010The Eye Collector2011The Eye Hunter2013The NightwalkerNoah2014Passenger 232015The Joshua-Profile2016The Package2017EightNightSeat 7a2018The Inmate2019The Present2020Walk Me Home
Film versions
Film YearTitleDirectorCastRef.2012Eric Roberts, Christian Traeumer, Sunny Mabrey, Ben Becker, Peter Greene, Reiner Schöne, Clemens Schick, Dieter Hallervorden2018Jochen Alexander FreydankTorben Liebrecht, Lina Hüesker, Franziska Weisz, Armin Rohde, Inez Bjørg David, Max Hopp, Katy Karrenbauer, David NathanCut OffChristian AlvartMoritz Bleibtreu, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Lars Eidinger, Fahri Yardım, Barbara PrakopenkaOliver SchmitzFranziska Weisz, , Eko Fresh, Manuel Mairhofer, Lena Reinhold, , Johann von Bülow, Christian TramitzAlexander DierbachLucas Gregorowicz, Oliver Mommsen, Picco von Groote, Kim Riedle, Annalee Ranft, Liane Forestieri, Judy Winter
Theater shows YearOriginal titleDirectorCastRef.2019Benjamin BreutelMoritz Stursberg, Moritz Heiermann, Jens Kalkhorst, Miriam Kalkreuth, Stephanie Spichala, Denny Pflanz, Doris Hartmann, Niklas Selz2016Wolfgang RumpfThomas Linke, Esther Esche, Silvio Hildebrandt, Martha Tham, Paulina StöhrThomas WingrichSilvio Hildebrandt, Katrin Martin, Vera Müller, Charlotte Neef, Katharina Zapatka, Helene Jany, Marlene Müller, Pauline Stöhr, Martha Tham, Josephine Nahrstedt, Greta Ipfelkofer, Alexandra Maria Johannknecht, Susanne Meyer, Carmen Zehentmeier, Matti Wien, André Zimmermann, Alejandro Ramon Alonso, Jean Maesér, Maria Jany, Gundula Piepenbring, Kristin Schulze, Jeanniene Gaspar, Nicole Bunge, Peter Dulke, Shero Khalil2019Marc GruppeUnknown
Board and card games YearNamePublisherCreatorRef.2017Safehousemoses VerlagMarco Teubner2018Black Stories - Sebastian Fitzek EditionBernhard Skopnik2019Marco Teubner2019
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.2007Friedrich-Glauser-AwardsBest Crime-Debutrowspan=1 2010LovelyBooks AwardsTension (Crime & Thriller)rowspan=1 2011rowspan=1 2012rowspan=1 2014Crime & Thrillerrowspan=1 2015rowspan=1 2016European Crime Fiction Star AwardBest Crime Fiction WriterHimselfrowspan=1 LovelyBooks AwardsCrime & Thrillerrowspan=1 Best Audio Bookrowspan=1 Best Book Coverrowspan=1 2017European Crime Fiction Star AwardBest Crime Fiction WriterHimselfrowspan=1 LovelyBooks AwardsCrime & Thrillerrowspan=1 Best Audio Bookrowspan=1 2018Crime & Thrillerrowspan=1 2019rowspan=1
References
External links Sebastian Fitzek Website