Rainald Goetz

Rainald Maria Goetz (born 24 May 1954, in Munich) is a German author, playwright and essayist. After studying History and Medicine in Munich and earning a degree (PhD and M.D) in each, he soon concentrated on his writing.

His first published works, especially his novel Irre ("Insane"), published in 1983, made him a cult author of the intellectual left. To the delight of his fans and the dismay of some critics, he mixed neo-expressionist writing with social realism in the vein of Alfred Döblin and the fast pace of British pop writers such as Julie Burchill. During a televised literary event in 1983, Goetz slit his own forehead with a razor blade and let the blood run down his face until he finished reading.Goetz has the reputation of an enthusiastic observer of media and pop culture. He has embraced avant-garde philosophers such as Foucault and Luhmann as well as the DJs of the techno movement, especially Sven Väth.He kept a blog in 1998–99 called Abfall für alle ("rubbish for everybody"), which was later published as a book.

Goetz has won numerous literary awards.