Gaby von Borstel

Gaby von Borstel is a German writer and scenarist who, together with artist Peter Eickmeyer, adapts major literary works into the medium of the graphic novel. Her work is characterized by careful research, literary sensitivity, and a clear, accessible narrative style that makes complex historical and biographical subjects engaging for a broad audience.

One of her central works is the graphic novel “Heinrich Heine – A Life Journey,” published by Splitter Verlag. In collaboration with Eickmeyer, she tells the life story of the German poet Heinrich Heine, from his childhood in Napoleonic Düsseldorf through his literary career to his exile in Paris. The narrative connects key biographical moments with Heine’s writings and historical contexts such as censorship, exile, and social change.

Von Borstel’s screenplay makes extensive use of Heine’s original texts and quotations, creating a narrative structure that is both informative and literary in its density. Her approach emphasizes historical accuracy while maintaining emotional accessibility, allowing Heine’s life and thought to emerge in all its complexity.

Combined with Eickmeyer’s atmospheric artwork, her writing results in a graphic novel that merges classic literature, biography, and visual storytelling—offering a contemporary and multifaceted portrait of Heine as a modern, contradictory, and highly relevant author.