Jochen Schmidt

[5] In 2017, Schmidt shared a literature-related memory with the MDR journalist Claudius Nießen, namely that he had attended the Leipzig Book Fair once during the times of the GDR.

Schmidt describes the experience as almost surreal, with the publishing houses from West Germany putting their books on the tables for display.

[6] Following his military service in the NVA,[7] Schmidt began studying Computer Science at the Humboldt University in Berlin, shortly after the Fall of the Wall.

[8] Especially his stays in Brittany, Spain, and the U.S. inspired parts of Schmidt's first novel Müller haut uns raus (engl.

In 1999, he was awarded the Open Mic Prize of the Literary Workshop Berlin for his story "Harnusch mäht als wär's ein Tanz."

The "Chaussee der Enthusiasten" held its reading events initially at the pub die tagung, and later at the RAW Friedrichshain in Berlin.

In addition to Schmidt, regulars at the reading stage included Andreas Kampa, Stephan Serin, Robert Naumann, and Dan Richter.

In Schmidt's author profile on the website of the International Literary Festival Berlin, we are told that his debut "impresses with its endless series of bizarre characters, parading their brittle dignity.

This hyper-realistic examination of numerous episodes from the era following the fall of the Berlin Wall, embedded in a mild melancholia, extracts a laconic power from its characters – as for example in the prize-winning story 'Harnusch mäht als wärs ein Tanz', masterfully giving rhythm to every text.

[14] In 2004, very likely by virtue of his intimate knowledge of the place because of his time studying abroad there, Jochen Schmidt published his User Manual for Brittany (Gebrauchsanweisung für die Bretagne) with Piper.

The year 2007 brought one of the most decisive events in Schmidt's career, his participation at the prestigious Ingeborg Bachmann Prize in Klagenfurt, Austria.