Ruge is the son of the
East German historian , who had once been deported to
Siberia by the Soviet state. At the age of two, Ruge came to
East Berlin with his parents. After studying mathematics at
Humboldt University, he worked as a research assistant at the
GDR Academy of Sciences. In 1986, he began his career as a writer, documentary filmmaker and screenwriter. In 1988, he emigrated to
West Germany. Since 1989 he has worked mainly as a writer for theatre, radio and film. In 2011 he debuted as a novelist with the title
In Times of Fading Light, which won the
German Book Prize and the
Alfred Döblin Prize. The novel has been translated into English by
Anthea Bell. As a translator from Russian, Ruge has translated
Chekhov among others. He is the father of four children and divides his time between
Berlin and
Rügen. ==Works==