Josef Haslinger (born July 5, 1955) is an Austrian writer. Haslinger was born in Zwettl, Lower Austria. He studied philosophy, drama and Germanic studies at the University of Vienna. He received his PhD in 1980. Since then he has been working as a freelance writer. 1976 to 1992 he was co-editor of the literary magazine "Wespennest". Haslinger has taught since 1996 as a professor of literary aesthetics at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig. He lives Vienna und Leipzig.