Manao Grenkowitz, born in 1983, grew up at Lake Constance in Germany and in Boulder, Colorado.
After his youth in Frankfurt, his interest in Buddhism leads him on a year-long quest through Asia, which almost costs him his life. Inspired by this trip, he writes and publishes the travelogue Eternal Fall.
He completes a degree in Literature and Creative Writing at the Open University in England and gains experience as a translator.
Initially, he works as a writer and junior producer for the translation and script development of international documentaries produced by ARTE and ZDF.
Afterwards, he moves to Berlin and works as a freelance literary translator specializing in fiction and Far Eastern philosophy.
Fascinated by the ancient wisdom of Asia - and Berlin’s nightlife - his first novel takes shape: the erotic comedy Naked to Nirvana written with his co-author and best friend Mike Kraus and published in 2024.
The bachelor is currently living near Museum Island, gathering inspiration for his next work.
Lekki flees his Bavarian village, finding refuge with Tibetan monks in Berlin. There, he stumbles upon a legendary book revealing Buddhism's secret erotic teachings. Unable to resist, he takes advantage of its wisdom for his own Tinder pursuits. Will country cop Bernie and his bloodthirsty canine expose him? And what are the intentions of Delia, the cunning feminist who keeps crossing his path?
Naked to Nirvana is an erotic comedy brimming with black humor and self-irony, sparing nothing and no one. A whirlwind of wordplay and wild imagination that follows an emotionally torn anti-hero caught between desire and the quest for true love.
A young man travels alone across Asia. He is searching for happiness, for himself, for adventure. In letters to an unknown woman, he asks the big questions of life. Who am I? Why do I suffer? What is eternal? His journey takes him from the last cannibals of Borneo to wild parties in Thailand, through the dangers of the Himalayas. He meets the Dalai Lama, seeks answers from philosopher Ken Wilber, and is confronted with death by a serious illness.
Eternal Fall is a guidebook to the essential. A poetic travelogue that inspires you to embark your inner journey.
