Oliver Heilwagen was born in 1968. After studying History, Philosophie, and Economy he completed a traineeship in broadcasting. He then started working for various German media outlets such as FAZ, Die Welt, Der Tagesspiegel, Berliner Zeitung and Deutschlandradio. In 2011, he founded kunstundfilm.de (art and movies), an online magazine featuring reviews of art exhibitions and arthouse films.
Spazierfahrt nach Syrakus (Riding to Syracus. From Germany to Sicily by bike) is Heilwagen's first book and will be published at Knesebeck Verlag in March 2022.