Charlotte Kerner

 ( 1950 Births ) 

Charlotte Kerner (born 12 November 1950, Speyer) is a German writer and journalist.

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Early life and education Charlotte Kerner was born in Speyer, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany where she spent her childhood. After studying economics and sociology in Mannheim, she initially worked on an urban sociology research project; this was followed by one-year study visits to Canada and the People's Republic of China.

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Career Her experiences in Canada and China led her to write her first book in 1980 about the position of women and girls in China. As a journalist , she worked for GEO-Wissen, Die Zeit and Emma, among others, and as a press officer for the science competition Jugend forscht.

In her novels she deals with scientific topics, especially biomedicine, genetic engineering and anthropology. In these books, as well as in her biographies, she primarily explores women's lives psychologically, often focusing on natural scientists.

In 1987 she received the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis ( German Youth Literature Prize) (non-fiction category) for the first time for her biography of Lise Meitner, Lise, Atomphysikerin. Die Lebensgeschichte der Lise Meitner, and then 13 years later, in 2000, in the youth book category, she received the same prize for the science fiction novel Blueprint, which was made into a film in 2004 with Franka Potente in the lead role. The novel, which was published in thirteen languages, accompanied Kerner on many reading tours, including at the invitation of the Goethe Institute, to Denmark, France and Israel, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as well as the USA and Israel.

In 2012 Kerner spent three months in the People's Republic of China and taught Chinese German students at various universities as a short-term lecturer for the German Academic Exchange Service.

Kerner lives with her family in Lübeck and sometimes in Pollença on Mallorca. In 2016, she collaborated with photographer Anja Doehring to produce the exhibition Sehnsuchtfels Mallorca in Lübeck.

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Selected publications

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Novels

• Geboren 1999. Eine Zukunftsgeschichte Born, Belz, Weinheim 1989, ISBN 3-407-80685-X.
• Blueprint. Roman, Weinheim 1999, ISBN 978-3-407-74102-8.
• Kopflos. Roman um ein wissenschaftliches Experiment Headless. , Piper, München 2008, ISBN 978-3-492-27146-2.
• Jane reloaded, Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim 2011, 214 S. ISBN 978-3-407-81092-2Review by Sylvia Schwab in Deutschlandradio Kultur on 10 January 2012: „Verliebt in einen Urmenschen“ Charlotte Kerner: "Jane reloaded"

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Non-fiction and biography

• with Ann-Kathrin Scheerer: Jadeperle und Großer Mut. Chinesinnen zwischen gestern und morgen Jade, Ravensburger, Ravensburg 1980, ISBN 3-473-35221-7.
• Lise, Atomphysikerin. Die Lebensgeschichte der Lise Meitner Lise,, Beltz & Gelberg, Weinheim / Basel 1986, ISBN 3-407-80664-7.
• Seidenraupe, Dschungelblüte. Die Lebensgeschichte der Maria Sibylla Merian Silkworm,, Beltz und Gelberg, Weinheim 1988, ISBN 3-407-80675-2.
• Alle Schönheit des Himmels. Die Lebensgeschichte der Hildegard von Bingen All, Beltz und Gelberg, Weinheim 1993
• Die Nonkonformistin. Die Lebensgeschichte der Designerin und Architektin Eileen Gray The, Beltz und Gelberg, Weinheim 2002, ISBN 978-3-492-27146-2.
• Rote Sonne, Roter Tiger – Rebell und Tyrann. Die Lebensgeschichte des Mao Zedong Red, Beltz und Gelberg, Weinheim 2015, ISBN 978-3-407-81196-7

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Travel and photography

• with photographer Anna Doehring: Sehnsuchtsfels Mallorca – Porträt einer Insel Sehnsuchtsfels, Wasmuth Verlag, Tübingen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8030-3379-6

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Edited works

• Kinderkriegen. Ein Nachdenkbuch. HavingBelz, Weinheim / Basel 1985, ISBN 3-407-80654-X.
• Nicht nur Madame Curie... Frauen, die den Nobel Prize bekamen Not, Beltz und Gelberg, Weinheim 1990, ISBN 3-407-80691-4.
• Marie Curie und ihre Schwestern. Frauen, die den Nobelpreis bekamen Madame, Belz, Weinheim / Basel 1997, ISBN 3-407-80845-3.
• Sternenflug und Sonnenfeuer. Porträts der Maria Cunitz, Caroline Herschel und Maria Mitchell. Star, Weinheim 2004
• Die nächste GENeration. Science + Fiction The, Belz, Weinheim 2009, ISBN 978-3-407-75346-5.
• Die Fantastischen 6. Die Lebensgeschichten von Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, J. R. R. Tolkien, Stanislaw Lem, Philip K. Dick, Stephen King The Beltz, Weinheim / Basel 2010, ISBN 978-3-407-81070-0.

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Film adaptations

• 1992: Geboren 1999 (Television film), director: Kai Wessel, screenplay:
• 2004: Blueprint, director: Rolf Schübel, screenplay:

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Awards

• 1979: 1st prize "Reporter der Wissenschaft"
• 1987: Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Lise, Atomphysikerin. Die Lebensgeschichte der Lise Meitner
• 1997: GEDOK-Literaturpreis
• 2000: Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Blueprint

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Further reading

• Nadine Emmerling (2026). 9783407626240, Beltz, Weinheim. ISBN 9783407626240
• Gerald Merkel (2026). 9783407627049, Beltz, Weinheim. ISBN 9783407627049

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External links

• Personal website

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