Beate Rothmaier was born in Ellwangen, Germany, and now lives and works as a writer in Zurich, Switzerland. After studying and taking a Master’s degree in German and French Literature at the Universities of Munich and Tubingen, she worked for publishing houses, theatres and as a copywriter at an advertising agency. Her critically acclaimed debut novel Caspar (2005) was awarded the Friedrich-Holderlin-Förderpreis. In 2010 she published her second novel, Fischvogel (The Fishbird), for which she was awarded a year’s grant from the Arts Council of Zurich, and in 2013 Atmen, bis die Flut kommt (Breathing Till The Tide Comes In), the moving story of a father who finds his way to love his child with special needs. In 2015 she spent a six month residency in London with the Landis & Gyr Cultural Foundation, and at present is translating her first novel into English.