Patrick Süskind

Lore & Background

Patrick Süskind was born in Ambach, Bavaria, to father Wilhelm Emanuel Süskind, a writer and journalist for Süddeutsche Zeitung and co-author of Aus dem Wörterbuch des Unmenschen, and mother Annemarie Süskind, a sports teacher. His older brother Martin Erhard Süskind was a journalist and speechwriter. After university qualification and community service, Süskind studied medieval and modern history at LMU Munich and two semesters in Aix-en-Provence from 1968 to 1974, but never graduated. Funded by his parents, he moved to Paris, where he wrote mainly short, unpublished fiction and longer screenplays that were not made into films.

His first major success came in 1981 with the play Der Kontrabaß (The Double Bass), originally conceived as a radio play; during the 1984–85 theatrical season, it was performed more than 500 times. In the 1980s, working with director Helmut Dietl, he wrote screenplays for television productions Monaco Franze (1983) and Kir Royal (1987). In 1996 he won the Screenplay Prize of the German Department for Culture for his screenplay of Rossini, directed by Dietl. He rejected other awards, including the FAZ-Literaturpreis, the Toucan Prize, and the Gutenberg Prize.

Süskind's best-known work is the novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (1985), which remained on Der Spiegel's bestseller list for nine years, has been translated into 49 languages, and as of 2019 had worldwide sales of more than 20 million copies. In the early 2000s, it was included in the BBC's poll-generated list of the 100 best-loved novels, and was adapted into a 2006 film directed by Tom Tykwer. He also published the novella The Pigeon (1988), The Story of Mr Sommer (1991, illustrated by Sempé), Three Stories and a Reflection (1996), and the essay On Love and Death (2006).

Reader's Guide

Patrick Süskind's significance rests primarily on his novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, a work that achieved extraordinary commercial and cultural impact. Its sustained presence on bestseller lists, translation into 49 languages, and sales exceeding 20 million copies by 2019 mark it as a global phenomenon. The novel's inclusion in the BBC's list of 100 best-loved novels and its film adaptation further cemented its legacy. Süskind's earlier success with the play Der Kontrabaß, which saw over 500 performances in a single season, and his screenwriting for television and film—including the award-winning Rossini—demonstrate his versatility. His reclusive personal life, rarely granting interviews and allowing few photographs, contrasts with the wide reach of his work. His rejection of several literary prizes underscores a deliberate distance from public acclaim. Süskind's legacy is that of a writer whose singular novel achieved rare international resonance, while his other works, though less known, contribute to a body of fiction and drama marked by psychological depth and narrative control.

Did You Know?

• Süskind studied medieval and modern history at LMU Munich and in Aix-en-Provence but never graduated.
• His father, Wilhelm Emanuel Süskind, co-authored the book Aus dem Wörterbuch des Unmenschen, a critical collection on Nazi-era language.
• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer was on the Der Spiegel bestseller list for nine years.
• Süskind rejected the FAZ-Literaturpreis, the Toucan Prize, and the Gutenberg Prize.