Sample of authors
Schlink, Bernhard
The German lawyer and author Bernhard Schlink was born in Grossdornberg (now part of the city of Bielefeld) and grew up in Heidelberg. His mother was Swiss and his father German, a professor of theology at the University of Heidelberg. As a young man Schlink was interested in literature; he wanted either to become an author or to study history and sociology. But he followed his father's advice...

Sample of authors
MacLean, Alistair
The Scottish author Alistair Stuart MacLean was born in Shettleston, Glasgow, in a Gaelic-speaking family as Alasdair MacGill-Eain (his Gaelic name was anglicised by the British authorities). His father was a Church of Scotland minister. While the author was still a baby, the family moved to a farm near Daviot in the Highlands. After the death of his father, his mother returned to Glasgow with...