German · b. 1995
Caroline Wahl is a German author born in 1995 in Rostock. She studied literature and worked as a bookseller and in publishing before turning to fiction. Her debut novel, 22 Bahnen (2023), tells of Tilda, a young woman who studies, works nights in a supermarket and looks after her younger sister Ida while their mother drinks. The book became a bestseller in Germany and was translated into many languages. Her second novel, Windstärke 17 (2024), continues the story of the sisters and follows Ida to the island of Rügen. Wahl writes in plain, direct language about grief, addiction and family, with humour and warmth. Her books reached a wide readership, including many younger readers, and she is among the most commercially successful German novelists of the early 2020s.