Stefan Weidner

Stefan Weidner was born in Cologne in 1967. He travelled to North Africa as a schoolboy and gained his first experience of Muslim societies. He studied Arabic, German and philosophy in Göttingen, Damascus, Berkeley and Bonn.

From 2001 until the last issue in 2016, Weidner was editor-in-chief of the magazine Fikrun wa Fann, published by the Goethe-Institut, which promoted dialogue between Western and Islamic cultures. He translated numerous Arabic poets, including Adonis and Mahmud Darwish.

His book 1001 Buch (2019) provides a comprehensive overview of Islamic-influenced literatures. His book Ground Zero: 9/11 und die Geburt der Gegenwart (2021) analyses the global consequences of 9/11. December 2024 saw the publication of “The Other Library”: Der arabische Diwan. Die schönsten Gedichte aus vorislamischer Zeit. In September 2025, Hanser Verlag publishes his book Yoga. Die sanfte Eroberung des Westens durch den Osten.

Weidner has received the Clemens Brentano, Johann Heinrich Voß, Paul Scheerbart and Sheikh Hamad Prizes from Qatar for his work. He is a member of the German Academy for Language and Poetry.