Writers of German contemporary literature are often part of their own texts: They name their protagonists after themselves and ostentatiously integrate autobiographical elements. These so-called autofictions can be attributed to postmodern sources (in particular to French 'autofictions'). But they have turned away from the highly conventionalised criticism of the literary genre of autobiography. Instead, the texts play with the effects of reception which are commonly caused by autobiographical presentations in order to comment on the public image of their writers.

Writers of German contemporary literature are often part of their own texts: They name their protagonists after themselves and ostentatiously integrate autobiographical elements. These so-called autofictions can be attributed to postmodern sources (in particular to French 'autofictions'). But they have turned away from the highly conventionalised criticism of the literary genre of autobiography. Instead, the texts play with the effects of reception which are commonly caused by autobiographical presentations in order to comment on the public image of their writers.