Hermann Hesse, A brief biography

A Nobel prize winner, and a great writer whose works are imbued with philosophy, Hermann Hesse was the son of a Protestant Pastor and missionary. Born in 1877 in Wurttemburg, Germany, his books, both fiction and non-fiction represent his thoughts on society in his time. Rejecting academics, Hesse worked as a bookseller, antique dealer and mechanic. Peter Camenzind, his first novel was published in 1904, and after this he devoted his life to writing. In 1919 he moved to Switzerland in a protest against German militarism. There he continued to write, and his other books include Knulp, Rosshalde, Klingsor’s Last Summer, Steppenwolf, Narcissus and Goldmund, Gertrude, Siddhartha, several short stories, and his Nobel award-winning book, Magister Ludi, often translated with the title, The Glass Bead Game. His non-fiction includes If the War Goes On, and several essays and autobiographical writings.
In all his books Hesse emphasises freedom from convention, an exploration of ideas, and a different way of thinking.
Hesse died in 1962.