Michael Krüger was born in a small village near Leipzig in Saxony in 1943. After spending his youth in Berlin, he worked in bookstores and publishing houses in London. He was the editor for the literary magazine "Akzente", the "Edition Akzente" book series, and the "Lyrik Kabinett" poetry series. He served at Carl Hanser Verlag for nearly four decades. He has published six novels, essay and short story collections, and ten poetry books. He is a member of the German Academy. He's also an honorary citizen of the city of Munich.