Erich Kästner
was born in Dresden, Germany in 1899. He is the author of many novels and children's books, poems and essays. Together with other German writers, he tried to attack Hitler's totalitarism and lack of freedom with humour and pacifist ideals. Kästner's children's books reflected his social optimism based on his belief in the renewing power of the each new generation of youth. He was awarded with the Hans Christian Andersen in 1960. Though he became popular through his children's books, he was also very successful among adults as a novelist and poet. Many of his books have been translated into English.