David Hollenstein
Author of 46 radio plays and 24 books. These include the popular series "Jan & Co" and "Pferdehof Klosterberg". Editor and Marketing Manager at Adonia.
New book: Charlie's Trip - His Incredible Quest for God's Embrace
After an accident, Charlie finds himself not in a hospital, but in a dark desert. This is not hell, as he first thinks, but the beginning of the world. He never imagined his deepest longings could be met through an encounter with God in the Garden of Eden. After everything is destroyed by the Fall, Charlie embarks on an incredible search for God’s renewed embrace. He travels from one biblical story to the next, uncovering surprising connections in God’s great story. But he is also tested at home. As doctors fight for his daughter’s life, Charlie tries to prove his innocence in the accident and save his marriage.
Sign up for the newsletter to spread the message of salvation:
About David Hollenstein
David Hollenstein began his writing career with radio plays. The books came later, but today they are also his passion. He still writes the radio plays for his books himself. Among them are the well-known series "Jan & Co." and "Pferdehof Klosterberg". He also writes radio plays based on books by other authors (e.g., "Gfuchst - D'Detektivfamilie"). In addition to his work as a writer, David Hollenstein has directed over 70 radio plays. As the editor of Adonia's publishing program, he has much to do with books, picture books, radio plays, and music. He also writes marriage guides, ghostwrites books, and created the interactive couple and marriage preparation course, “Ernsthaft verliebt”. He is also one of the hosts of the children's show on Adonia-KidsRadio.
David and his wife have four children. They live in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland.
News
David Hollenstein received two Foundation Awards at the Blue Ridge Writers Conference. An honorable mention in the nonfiction category and a third place in speculative fiction. This is a great honor for a Swiss author at the largest Christian writers’ conference in the USA.
The radio play "Kater Mats - und sini komischen Gfüehl am Geburtstag" by David Hollenstein was awarded the quality seal "Especially Recommended" at the award ceremony for the "Goldenen Chrönli". The Association for the Promotion of Swiss Youth Culture awards prizes for artistically and pedagogically valuable Swiss dialect productions on audio media.
Listen to an audio sampleCurriculum Vitae
David Hollenstein went to school in Zollikofen, north of Bern, Switzerland. He completed a commercial apprenticeship in the fiduciary industry and then got a taste of the media air in the accounting department of a large news agency. After attending several Adonia music camps as a teenager, David, then 20, accepted a position at Adonia in Brittnau. After his first year as an intern, he worked for several years in the shipping department, as a project manager of the music camps for families and later for children (Adonia-Junior), as a product manager, radio play director, and editor of the children's program "Schere, Stei, Papier" on Radio Life Channel.
During this time, David studied practical theology, married, and started a family with four children. After over 20 years with Adonia, Hollenstein oversees the publishing program, is responsible for editorial and marketing, and serves on the board of directors.
Becoming an author
In his school days, writing, dictation, and spelling were not David's strong points. Reading was not one of his regular hobbies either. But stories played an early role when he and his brothers made short films on free school afternoons. Writing first caught David's attention when he passed his apprenticeship exam with the highest letter writing/written communication grade. He went on to study practical theology. This included submitting written work regularly. His classmates complained about the writing, while David enjoyed it. One of these papers became his first book, "Ich liebe dich! Ich liebe mich!" (Adonia Verlag).
As editor of Adonia's youth magazine "Take-it", he began writing short radio plays (e.g., "The Diary of Jennifer Braun"). This led Adonia to create a complete radio play bible for children. David Hollenstein was responsible for the project and wrote half of the stories. When Adonia took over the radio play tradition of the former "ERF Radio Plays", David Hollenstein also began to write other radio plays. Among other things, this resulted in the series Jan & Co.
David Hollenstein developed a true passion for writing books and radio plays in the following years.
Books and audio dramas
in English
David Hollenstein has published 24 books and 46 major radio plays. Most of them are in German, and some have been translated into French. Here are the English ones. More will come in 2026.
Books and audio dramas
in German and French
David Hollenstein has published 24 books and 46 major radio plays. He has also written countless short radio plays and ghostwritten numerous others.
Jan & Co. (11 books and 17 radio plays)
Pferdehof Klosterberg (7 books and 7 radio plays)
Charlies Reise (novel)
De töönendi Adväntskaländer – Kater Mats und sini richtig guete Fründe (radio play)
Kater Mats – und sini komische Gfüehl am Geburstag (radio play)
Hund Waffel – und sis Problem mit em Zuelose (radio play)
Muus Mimi - und de gemeini Abfalldieb (radio play)
40 Tage Bibel Challenge (book)
Die Einladung zum grossen Fest (book in German and French)
Ich liebe dich! Ich liebe mich! (book)
Das Kilimanjaro-Prinzip der Ehe (book)
Wie war's bei euch? (book)
ChinderHörspielBible (10 radio plays)
Gfuchst – D'Detektivfamilie (5 radio plays based on the books by Elke Holler)
Sophie - Königin vo de Farbe (radio play based on the book by Rahel Träger)
D'Reis zum König (radio play based on the book by Ruth Truttmann)
Em Alexander sis Schäfli (radio play based on the book by Daniela Baumann)
E bsundrigi Oschtere (radio play based on the book by Cecilie Fodor)
E bsundrigi Wiehnachte (radio play based on the book by Cecilie Fodor)
And other books as a ghostwriter.
Let's get in touch!
If you have a question, comment, or thought about the book's topic, please send it to me. I love hearing from you!
Write me on Facebook and Instagram: