Le Kochbuch

Mac Conin, born in 1961, lives in Cologne, Germany. He has about as much interest in carnival as he does in books without substance. After more than three decades in the advertising industry, where he learned to observe precisely and get to the point, he now devotes himself to writing.

His texts are born out of observation, listening and an interest in the absurdities of everyday life. Characters and stories should feel real, not smooth or pleasing, but close to life. Life itself is absurd enough – and that is precisely where he draws the material and tone for his stories.

In 2025, he and Gerd-Gustl Müller founded kontrabande Verlag, a publishing house that publishes literature outside the mainstream. In addition to novels that address urban themes, social divisions and personal detours, he has also produced works that draw directly on his own life experiences – such as a cookbook that translates his experiences on a sailing boat into simple, flexible recipes.