Hilke Rosenboom was born in 1957 on the German island of Juist. She studied linguistics in Kiel and trained as a journalist in Hamburg. For fifteen years she worked as a reporter for the news magazine Stern, before beginning her career as a freelance novelist in 1995. She has published a variety of books and short stories for children and adults. She lives with her husband and children, dividing her time between Hamburg and East Fresia. Previous works include: Fräulein Bauer, TomTom und wie die Liebe kam (Carlsen Verlag, 2000, sold to Korea); Und das Leben ist süß (Marion von Schroeder Verlag, 2001); Adam und Ewig (Piper Verlag, 2002); Wirf mich ins Meer zurück (Ullstein TB, 2002) Translation rights available from Carlsen Verlag GmbH Völckersstr. 14-20 22765 Hamburg, Germany Tel: +49 40 39 80 42 36 Email: erdmut.gross@carlsen.de Contact: Erdmut Gross Applications for assistance with translation costs - Germany Carlsen Verlag was founded in 1953 as a subsidiary of the Danish company Carlsen, Copenhagen, so that their series for younger children could be published in German translation. Carlsen Verlag Hamburg has been publishing its own titles since 1964, ranging from picture books for younger children to novels for young adults. Carlsen Comics first introduced comic books to the German market.