Michael Goetze was born in Brazil to a German father and Brazilian mother. After a military coup, the family moved to Germany, and later to South Africa, where he grew up. His refusal to serve in the apartheid-era military led to the loss of his residency rights and a period away from the country, before he returned to work in the family business. Those experiences shaped his understanding of conscience, consequence, and belonging. Now heading toward retirement, he is finally publishing the works he has written over a lifetime. In Conversation is his first book. When not writing, he is in the garden or working on various DIY projects around the house. He lives in South Africa and writes at the intersection of memory and reconciliation.