Benedict Wells (born 1984 in Munich) is a German-Swiss novelist.
He was born Benedict von Schirach and is a member of the Sorbian Schirach family.
He is the brother of the philosopher and writer Ariadne von Schirach, a cousin of the author Ferdinand von Schirach, the son of the sinologist Richard von Schirach and a grandson of the Nazi
youth leader and war criminal Baldur von Schirach. Wells is no pseudonyme or pen name, he officially
changed his surname some years before his literary debut. His family background did not become publicly known until after the success of his third novel. Wells has since commented that this happened against his will because he wanted to be independent as an author and to be judged ba<x>sed on his own person. He said that he changed his name to distance himself from what his German grandfather had done and this part of his family's history, which he condemns in any possible way, and that he wanted to show that he stands for something else. He further said the name Wells is a tribute to the character Homer Wells in John Irving's novel The Cider House Rules, and that Irving's books inspired him to become a writer.

Benedict Wells (born 1984 in Munich) is a German-Swiss novelist.
He was born Benedict von Schirach and is a member of the Sorbian Schirach family.
He is the brother of the philosopher and writer Ariadne von Schirach, a cousin of the author Ferdinand von Schirach, the son of the sinologist Richard von Schirach and a grandson of the Nazi
youth leader and war criminal Baldur von Schirach. Wells is no pseudonyme or pen name, he officially
changed his surname some years before his literary debut. His family background did not become publicly known until after the success of his third novel. Wells has since commented that this happened against his will because he wanted to be independent as an author and to be judged ba<x>sed on his own person. He said that he changed his name to distance himself from what his German grandfather had done and this part of his family's history, which he condemns in any possible way, and that he wanted to show that he stands for something else. He further said the name Wells is a tribute to the character Homer Wells in John Irving's novel The Cider House Rules, and that Irving's books inspired him to become a writer.