Who was Karl May? We’ve heard of former literary heavyweights like Alexandre Dumas, Alighieri Dante, and Edgar Rice Burroughs to name a few. But when I mention Karl May, many of you shake your head. Allow me to introduce you to an exceptional writer, one who made a significant impact in his lifetime, and even more so after his death.

Karl Friedrich May was born in Feb. 1842, in Ernstthal, Germany, into a family of poor weavers. He suffered from various childhood diseases, including one that left him visually impaired. He overcame these obstacles and became a teacher in Waldenburg. Yet his brief career ended in 1863, when he was accused of theft by a colleague, something that he always denied. He was tried and jailed for the petty crime. The incarceration left him bitter and frustrated. 

It was during these low periods in his life that he turned to writing and back to the faith he had abandoned. After his release in 1874, he wrote for local magazines, newspapers, and starting with short stories and novelettes progressed to travel narratives and full length novels. He achieved moderate success, but it wasn’t until he explored the stories of James Fenimore Cooper, that his true genius came to the forefront. He wrote the famous Winnetou trilogy, which became an instant success, turning him into a celebrity and gaining world-wide attention. From there, May diversified writing about the Orient, even Australia. 

But he didn’t stop there. There was more, much more.