Roswitha Schieb, born in Recklinghausen in 1962, studied literature and art history. She lives in Borgsdorf near Berlin and works as a book author, essayist and publicist for various magazines and newspapers, including the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. In addition to books about the theatre director Peter Stein, she has written cultural-historical travel books on Rügen, on Silesia, Galicia (Reise nach Schlesien und Galizien) and Wroclaw (Literarischer Reiseführer Breslau). In her book Jeder zweite Berliner ("Every Second Berliner") she traces Silesian influences on Berlin.

A few years ago came her art guide to Wroclaw, a literary travel guide to Carlsbad, Marienbad and Franzensbad, a collection of essays Reisefreiheit. Berichte aus Osteuropa and the anthology Zugezogen. Flight and Expulsion - Memories of the Second Generation.

Recent publications include her illustrated book Schlesien. Geschichte – Landschaft – Kultur ("Silesia. History - Landscape - Culture"), her Berliner Literaturgeschichte, her biographical volume of essays Risse. Dreißig deutsche Lebensläufe, her short story Der Hof, and her book Der Berliner Witz.