Biography
Martin Baltscheit was born in Düsseldorf on September 16 1965. While studying communication design at the Folkwang Schule in Essen, he already showed a strong interest in youth theatre, and from 1986 until 1992, he was a member of the "Junge Ensemble" in Düsseldorf.
After graduating, he began to work as a playwright, comic artist, illustrator and author of children's books and writer for audio plays and animation films, also providing voice talent for the latter. Working for the WDR network, he wrote and hosted the children's programs "Bärenbude" and "Bax Blubber". Baltscheit also frequently draws cover illustrations for the children's magazine "Geolino" and for books by publishers like Carlsen, dtv and rororo.
He adapted several of his children and youth novels for the stage, including "Die besseren Wälder", which won Baltscheit the 2010 Deutsche Jugendtheaterpreis, and "Major Dux oder der Tag, an dem die Musik verboten wurde", which was the only German production to be invited to the international ASSITEJ congress in 2014. The same year, Baltscheit was a jury member at the Internationale Literaturfilmfestival Berlin.
Baltscheit received the Deutsche Jugendliteraturpreis for his novel Die Geschichte vom Fuchs, der den Verstand verlor". He adapted his successful novel "Nur ein Tag" an award-winning audio book, a stage play as well as a feature film, which he eventually also directed.