Author of the New York Times best-selling Inkheart series, Cornelia Funke has been published in 53 languages and her books have sold over 22 million copies worldwide. Cornelia lives in Tuscany, Italy, and her farm provides a retreat for creatives to collaborate in surprising and amazing ways.
Probably with my passion for plants. I have countless plant memories from my childhood: the magic of sitting under a flowering almond tree and being covered in rosy petals, pretending to cook soup from grass seeds, picking cornflowers. Working on The Green Kingdom, I realised how much plants have enchanted me from early childhood! I had been thinking about a book that seeds my green passion into the hearts of my readers for a while. When I read Tammi’s Cattail Moonshine & Milkweed Medicine, I loved her way of mixing myth and herbal knowledge in her writing about plants. So I decided to contact her, as I was sure a collaboration with a professional plant lover would be absolutely vital for the book I had in mind. Tammi liked the idea of such a book and came to visit me. We discussed and discarded many non-fiction formats for the book - and I should have listened much earlier to Tammi’s husband, Chris, who from the beginning suggested to write fiction instead. Once we went down that road it all came together - also with the help of the real-world inspirations for Caspia and her mother, who were my eyes and ears in Brooklyn!
Oh for countless reasons. First of all, I do of course love to earn a living with what I like to do best: storytelling and drawing. But there are so many other magical aspects to my profession: that my work gives so much joy to so many readers all over the world, that they find courage, comfort, sometimes even a home between my words and in my images. Yes, I think that is the greatest magic.
I always drew a lot, since I was little. And I've always loved books. So I was far more drawn to illustration than to fine art. Not many people can afford to buy a painting and many even hesitate to walk into a museum. But books don’t cost that much and can even be found in libraries - which I frequented throughout my childhood, as otherwise my parents would have been ruined by my hunger for the printed word. So… I became an illustrator. But soon I noticed that I rarely liked the stories I was supposed to illustrate. So one day I decided to write a story that included everything I wished to draw - dragons, giant sea serpents, brownies, huge birds, far away places. It took me a few years though to realise that I began to love the writing as much as being an illustrator.
Curiosity - for the world outside yourself and for everything inside yourself. A love for people and everyone and everything we share this planet with. And the wish to shapeshift and live a hundred lives in one.
Always carry a notebook and a pen with you, for ideas come often at the most impractical places. Imagine yourself to be a storyteller who sits with others by the fire at night and has to chase the fear of the darkness away with your words.
The Once and Future King by T.H.White and The Princess Bride by William Goldman - to name two of many! I draw inspiration from everything I see, hear, smell and touch.
A hummingbird moth looking for food in my flowering jasmine.
That I can create joy for others and that I can become a thousand people, creatures and plants at the same time.
Close your eyes. Imagine your story to be a labyrinth or a dense old forest. Where is your way in? Find it! Or are you too afraid?
Ah you found it. Okay. Now listen. The story will try to trick you. It will send you the wrong characters, trap you on the wrong path and between brambles. But you have to go on. For stories want you to prove your passion. And your patience. Only then will you find their heart, the clearing at the center of the labyrinth, where all secrets are revealed and you will be asked to say what you found.
How did The Green Kingdom begin?
Probably with my passion for plants. I have countless plant memories from my childhood: the magic of sitting under a flowering almond tree and being covered in rosy petals, pretending to cook soup from grass seeds, picking cornflowers. Working on The Green Kingdom, I realised how much plants have enchanted me from early childhood! I had been thinking about a book that seeds my green passion into the hearts of my readers for a while. When I read Tammi’s Cattail Moonshine & Milkweed Medicine, I loved her way of mixing myth and herbal knowledge in her writing about plants. So I decided to contact her, as I was sure a collaboration with a professional plant lover would be absolutely vital for the book I had in mind. Tammi liked the idea of such a book and came to visit me. We discussed and discarded many non-fiction formats for the book - and I should have listened much earlier to Tammi’s husband, Chris, who from the beginning suggested to write fiction instead. Once we went down that road it all came together - also with the help of the real-world inspirations for Caspia and her mother, who were my eyes and ears in Brooklyn!
Why do you love being a writer and illustrator?
Oh for countless reasons. First of all, I do of course love to earn a living with what I like to do best: storytelling and drawing. But there are so many other magical aspects to my profession: that my work gives so much joy to so many readers all over the world, that they find courage, comfort, sometimes even a home between my words and in my images. Yes, I think that is the greatest magic.
How did you become a writer and illustrator?
I always drew a lot, since I was little. And I've always loved books. So I was far more drawn to illustration than to fine art. Not many people can afford to buy a painting and many even hesitate to walk into a museum. But books don’t cost that much and can even be found in libraries - which I frequented throughout my childhood, as otherwise my parents would have been ruined by my hunger for the printed word. So… I became an illustrator. But soon I noticed that I rarely liked the stories I was supposed to illustrate. So one day I decided to write a story that included everything I wished to draw - dragons, giant sea serpents, brownies, huge birds, far away places. It took me a few years though to realise that I began to love the writing as much as being an illustrator.
What do you believe are the most important skills/qualities for a writer or an illustrator to have?
Curiosity - for the world outside yourself and for everything inside yourself. A love for people and everyone and everything we share this planet with. And the wish to shapeshift and live a hundred lives in one.
What advice do you have for kids who love literature and wish to become writers?
Always carry a notebook and a pen with you, for ideas come often at the most impractical places. Imagine yourself to be a storyteller who sits with others by the fire at night and has to chase the fear of the darkness away with your words.
What is your favourite book, and what do you draw inspiration from?
The Once and Future King by T.H.White and The Princess Bride by William Goldman - to name two of many! I draw inspiration from everything I see, hear, smell and touch.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen?
A hummingbird moth looking for food in my flowering jasmine.
What’s your favourite thing about your job?
That I can create joy for others and that I can become a thousand people, creatures and plants at the same time.
What are your top tips to start your first book?
Close your eyes. Imagine your story to be a labyrinth or a dense old forest. Where is your way in? Find it! Or are you too afraid?
Ah you found it. Okay. Now listen. The story will try to trick you. It will send you the wrong characters, trap you on the wrong path and between brambles. But you have to go on. For stories want you to prove your passion. And your patience. Only then will you find their heart, the clearing at the center of the labyrinth, where all secrets are revealed and you will be asked to say what you found.