bio notes:
born: 7/2/1877
died: 8/9/1962
born as: Hermann Hesse
nationality: Switzerland

German novelist, poet, and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, who principally deals with the individual's break with society to find spiritual fulfillment. With his appeal for self-realization and his celebration of Eastern mysticism, Hesse poshumously became a cult figure. - Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature