Erwin Riess

Erwin Riess (born March 13, 1957), a disabled playwright and dramatist, was born in Vienna, Austria. He attended school in Krems, Austria and later returned to Vienna to study political and theatre science. In 1983 he was relegated to a wheelchair after the discovery of a back tumor. He has since been active in disability campaigns and humanitarian efforts to improve living conditions for disabled persons living in Austria.

He is a free-lance writer providing material for many magazines and newspapers and writing theatrical works, many of which have been performed internationally. Based on the life of Stephen Hawking, "Hawking's Dream" is arguably his most famous and well-received work.