"Get up real close, Mr. Franken." – Editor

"The article 'Weizen zum Heizen' (Wheat for Heat) gave me a feeling of utter horror." – Reader’s letter

"I think it’s good that someone with a college degree is doing journalism." – Anonymous, sponsor of a German environmental prize

Marcus Franken was born in 1968 in Essen in the Ruhr Valley. He completed an engineering degree in environmental technology before turning to writing. His studies have stayed with him insofar as he often receives jobs to write stories in the field of technology and science. He likes taking on those projects, but also enjoys writing on travel and sports.

Present status: freelance journalist, correspondent for eastern Germany for the journal Neue Energie, columnist for the VDI nachrichten weekly, author for many newspapers and periodicals, including Spiegel, Zeit, Natur & Kosmos, taz, Handelsblatt, Rheinischer Merkur, Stern Campus & Carriere, Tagesspiegel, and Kölner Stadtanzeiger.

Journalism prizes: Stromerzähler 2003, Ostenergie 2003

Main subject areas: Again, science and technology, presently a lot on renewable energies. Fairly regularly, journalistic travels, most recently in Switzerland (on paragliding and rock climbing, for various dailies), Malta (for Neue Energie), Ethiopia (on AIDS for Brigitte Young Miss), India (an extended camel trek, one story on bread and another on a major camel market, for Bertelsmann publishers), Ecuador (oil versus rainforest, for Bertelsmann), China, Chile, Brazil.

And now and then media work and public relations for a good cause.

Tel (office): 030-392 61 33,

Fax: 030-391 051 33

Cell/Mobile: 0171-12 70 808,

Home: 030-391 67 46

contact: mf(@)textetage.com