Sherko FATAH

Sherko FATAH, the son of an Iraqi Kurd father and a German mother, grew up in Berlin but often visited Iraq for extended periods of time, impressions of which influence much of his work. His first novel, Im Grenzland ('At the Borderline'), is the story of a smuggler operating in the border triangle between Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. The book won the 2001 Aspekt Prize, which recognizes the best German debut novel. His subsequent works, Donnie and Onkelchen, continue to explore the bitter tension, displacement, and violence he observed in the Middle East. He participates courtesy of generous donations to the IWP Writers Fund.