Wolfgang Mahnke reads from his books: "Kortgeschichten un Läuschen - Plattdütsch tau'n Högen un Besinn'n

Mahnke had been writing Low German poems and stories since the late 1960s. After his retirement, he began working as a freelance Low German author in 1994.[3] In his first book, Fischerie, Fischera, Fischerallala, published in 2001, Mahnke describes events and stories from his sea voyages. Other books followed in quick succession, all written in Low German. The audio CD Murd in't Hotel, on which he reads "his best stories", was released in 2012.[4] Mahnke writes articles for various newspapers, including Low German columns in the Ostsee-Zeitung. He is also known for his numerous readings in northern Germany[3].