Josef Haslinger (born July 5, 1955) is an Austrian writer. Haslinger was born in Zwettl, Lower Austria. He studied philosophy, drama and Germanic studies at the University of Vienna. He received his PhD in 1980. Since then he has been working as a freelance writer. 1976 to 1992 he was co-editor of the literary magazine "Wespennest".In 1983/84 Haslinger had a teaching position at the University of Kassel, was Secretary General of the Graz Authors' Assembly from 1986 to 1989, and from 1986 to 1994 co-organizer of the "Vienna Lectures on Literature". In 1995 he was a lecturer at the University of Kassel and wrote parts of his political thriller novel, Opernball (Opera Ball) there.Haslinger has taught since 1996 as a professor of literary aesthetics at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig. He lives Vienna und Leipzig. Source: Wikipedia (en)