By Claudia von Duehren
For lunch – punctual as every day at 1 p.m. – there was a vegetable pan with Romanesco and potatoes.
Now Iny (73) and Elmar (70) are sitting in their small bungalow on the two armchairs next to the telephone and are talking to the BZ
As Iny Lorentz, the couple wrote “The Wanderhure” and 47 other historical novels. On Friday liest Germany’s most successful author couple in Berlin from their new book “Das Mädchen von Agunt” (Knaur, 10.99 euros).
The bestselling authors have sold around 20 million books to date, and six have been made into films, including “Das goldene Ufer” for ZDF and the “Wanderhure” trilogy for Sat.1. Despite earning millions, they have remained down-to-earth and modest.
Alexandra Neldel played the wandering whore in the TV adaptation Photo: ORF/Sat1/TV60/ Oliver Roth
“We never learned how to spend money,” says Iny Klocke. Born with rickets, she fought for her high school diploma as a second-chance medical assistant. She dropped out of medical school, became a programmer and worked for an insurance company for 25 years. She met her husband in a fantasy club, both of whom have been writing stories since they were young. At that time, Elmar Wohlrath tried to keep the over-indebted farm of his father, who died young, then worked as a parcel deliverer and finally with Iny in the same insurance company.
Both have been married since 1982, Iny could not have children. The books are their children, they take care of them, live with them and the stories.
Both have worked in insurance for 25 years, writing stories in the evenings and at weekends. In 2001, the couple invented “The Wanderhure” in their caravan. Since then, 3.5 million copies have been sold, followed by the film adaptation with Alexandra Neldel. In 2006 they were able to buy the house and quit their jobs.
Iny Lorentz now sits at the desk in her bungalow in the Bavarian district of Ebersberg every day between eight and nine o’clock and writes as if on an assembly line.
“Three novels are completed each year, one is researched and another is mentally prepared,” explains Iny, adding: “In 2020 we wrote six and a half books because of Corona, we couldn’t do anything else.”
In doing so, they had to completely use up their stock of research. Because for each of their historical novels, the authors go on research trips two to three months a year. These tours have taken her to Jordan, Greece, the South Seas and now also to Brandenburg. “We are researching for a book about the Slavs,” reveals Elmar. The historical context of your novels has to match the main story, preferably a love story. The ideas for this “run after us,” says the couple.
“The Maid of Agunt”, book cover Photo: Verlag Knaur
On the journeys they get a feeling for their locations, visit museums and are accompanied by guides who know the area. Iny, who has been using crutches for 30 years, spares no effort. Only the 100 meters of altitude difference this year on Madeira pushed them to their limits.
History enthusiast Elmar then writes the rough draft, and Iny revises the text “seven times,” as she points out. “I’m the better storyteller, Iny the better writer,” says Elmar in a nutshell. There are no disputes with this division of labor. Everyone knows about the qualities of the other. Rather, both dread the day when a partner dies. “Then it will be very difficult to continue writing alone,” assures Elmar. Both hope to tell stories together for many years to come. “Without writing, we’ll break down, we’ll petrify,” Iny is certain.
It’s not so much about making money for her. The only luxury that Iny affords is “buying and renting out overpriced little houses. That’s our security in case we can’t write any more.” Later, the real estate should go into a foundation that “does something good for people.”
“The Girl from Agunt” takes place in East Tyrol in 150 AD. In the wealthy city of Aguntum, two important Roman families vie for supremacy. Cincia, a young slave girl who belongs to the other family’s daughter and has become her friend, learns of the other side’s murderous plan. Although she longs for freedom, she decides to stand by her mistress and her family. In doing so, however, she has to put her own life at risk.
5 p.m., reading and discussion with Iny Lorentz in the Mark Twain district central library, Marzahner Promenade 55. Admission is free. registration under ☎ 54 70 41 54 or [email protected]