Cornelia Funke – Die offizielle Homepage

Cornelia moves house

Tuesday, 31 August, 2021

Today begins a new chapter in Cornelia's life. After 16 years living in California, she sets off for Italy where she will live and work and continue her Artist in Residence project.  heute in die Toskana, wo sie wohnen, arbeiten und auch ihr Artist-in-Residence projekt.

Pushkin Press publishes new paperback edition of the Mirrorworld series

Friday, 4 June, 2021

A children's book about the poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff

Saturday, 22 May, 2021

Cornelia wrote a children's book for the German project „Droste Landschaft: Lyrikweg“ by Burg Hülshoff – Center for Literature (CfL). Sara-Christin Richter added her beautiful illustrations. 

A new "Magical Image Maker"

Thursday, 29 April, 2021

This week we introduce illustrator Cory Shaw from Utah in our feature "Magical Image Makers".

World Book Day

In 1995, UNESCO created the World Book and Copyright Day to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those, who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity.

Which book is sitting on your bedside table today?
We really would like to know:

mail@corneliafunke.com

If I could be a grown-up for one day....

In Cornelia's book "The Thief Lord", thirteen-year-old Scipio is desperate to ride the magical merry-go-round to grow older. If you had the chance to take a ride as well, if you could be a grown-up for just one day, what would you do?

Cornelia @ Sleeping with... Syd+Holger

Friday, 29 January, 2021

On 4 February at 09:00 PM CET (Berlin time), Cornelia talks to Holger Volland and Syd Atlas about the power of good night stories. The event will take place in the Clubhouse Show "Sleeping with...Syd + Holger".

Please note: Right now, you still cannot join Clubhouse without an invite. Besides: only iPhone users can download the app and reserve a username. You'll be added to the waiting list unless you receive an invite via a friend.

Online event link

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Let's set sail for a more light-hearted and easier 2021. We are looking forward to a new Barn year with you

A Merry Little Xmas To All Of You!

Thursday, 24 December, 2020

Cornelia, Bashar, Chus, Insa, and Guesty wish you a beautiful time

Christmas is coming...

Saturday, 19 December, 2020

... so, does your kitchen already smell like clove, cinnamon and cardamom? And are the elk and snowman biscuit cutters already knocking in the drawer, calling: "Come on! Let us out! It's baking time!" Or are you one of those who do not like sticky fingers and therefore stock up on gingerbread, snickerdoodles and sand tarts at the supermarket? Pfeffernussen, shortbread, iced hermits, coconut macaroons…. dear me, I have to stop this. Guesty is nervously bustling around in the Barn, looking for all those treats...

Only 5 days ...

Saturday, 19 December, 2020

... until Christmas.

Have you ever seen a Hedgehog Claus before?

Xmas-mood without the Grinch, Scrooge, and Lord Fauntleroy

Some winter story recommendations (you may not know yet) for you to curl up with by the fire or on the sofa.

Happy St Nicholas Day

Here in Germany, St. Nicholas fills the children's boots with gifts and sweets on the night of 5 December. We put one of Cornelia's Christmas baubles into the "Barn boot". Cornelia loves to collect tree ornaments for her Driftwood Xmas Tree. This one she brought from England. The Christmas mouse could well have jumped out of the pages of "The Wind in the Willows".

Ecologia Youth Trust presents... The Great Virtual Silent Auction

Friday, 13 November, 2020

Cornelia feels very honoured to support the Ecologia Youth Trust's magnificent work: "Will try my best to add some magical doodles and signatures to these books!" Check it out here: platform.nationalfundingscheme.org/ecologia-auction

Cornelia received the German Children's Literature Special Award for Lifetime Achievement

Friday, 16 October, 2020

The Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Children’s Literature Award) is the most prestigious award for children’s and young adult’s literature in Germany and is granted annually by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth since 1956. This year, the award ceremony took place without an audience in the Berlin GRIPS Theater and was broadcasted in a live stream.

The German Children's Literature Award is awarded by a jury of literature specialists and critics in four categories: Picture Book, Children's Book, Young Adult Book and Non-Fiction. In addition, since 2003 an independent young adult jury gives its own award. Furthermore, two Special Awards are presented alternately to German authors, illustrators or translators. The Special Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Special Award for New Talents.

Congratulations, Cornelia

The Dragon Rider Movie

Thursday, 8 October, 2020

DRAGONRIDER made its appearance as a movie a few days ago, but you’ll notice that the credits say something like "inspired by/based on motives of the book by Cornelia Funke." I tried my best to convince the team that adapted my book for the big screen to tell the story you all know from my book, but alas, they decided to tell a quite different one. Some of the characters were changed immensely and are not really the ones I sent on a journey to the Rim of Heaven.

Firedrake for sure feels more like a pet than my wild and wondrous dragon. Ben is not the selfless and fearless boy who dreams of riding dragons and was always hero material. I definitely know that the famous dragon expert Subeida Galib doesn’t have a husband and if she had chosen a companion, she for sure wouldn’t have picked a caricature. (I apologize to all my Indian readers for the character, although I didn’t come of with it!) As for Nettlebrand….. well, I am sure the ones who will watch the movie will agree that he is not the monster I described.

And then there is the show down (is it a showdown? ) and …… I will stop here, as you all have to make up your own minds, whether you like the story I told better or the one the director and Constantin decided to tell. Maybe you’ll enjoy the movie nevertheless.
Just don’t expect it to be an adaptation of my book. It’s very different.
Therefore: "based on…"

Authors in Conversation: Cornelia and reporter and author Kerstin Zilm

An Online webinar in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Boston.

The livestream takes place from 12 to 1:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time
(GMT - 4; 18-19:30 Uhr German time) on Zoom.

For more information, go to www.goethe.de

Adolfo Córdova wins award for his picture book Jomshuk

Adolfo Córdova's picture book Jomshuk, was awarded the Los mejores libros para niños prize (Best Books for Children) by the Venezuelan organization Banco del Libro.

There are many versions of the fascinating myth of Jomshuk, the god of corn and a mischievous child who escapes death and overcomes a thousand dangers with the help of animals. Adolfo's unusual illustrated poem tells the version that he heard in the voice of his brother and other members of the Popoluca community of Piedra Labrada, in the jungle of Veracruz (México).

Felicidades, Adolfo

Excitement on Cornelia's farm

Monday, 1 June, 2020

 Cornelia's donkey mare Esperanza gave birth to her son Matteo. Matteo's dad Zorro is as proud as punch Welcome, willkommen, bienvenido little donkey man.

Live reading on Cornelia.Funke.Official

"Actually, I wanted to take my German readers back to Inkworld at the end of next year.
I am still working on book 4. But these are difficult times and stories are especially needed in such times. So my friend Eduardo Garcia and I decided to give the first chapters to them as a gift. Read by my German friend, the actor Rainer Strecker.
On 17 April at 8:15 PM CEST, you can watch a live stream of Rainer reading the first chapter, on my Instagram account (@Cornelia.Funke.Official) AND on the YouTube Channel of Atmende Bücher  After that, the next chapters will be published fortnightly as audiostreams."

To lighten up the global Corona-lockdown, Cornelia is releasing the first chapters of her upcoming 4th INKWORLD book (Die Farbe der Rache - The Color of Revenge) in audio. The German version is already out. The English and Spanish translations of the first chapters are under way and will be released as audio as soon as possible.

The Feathers Project - The Collection

Dear readers and not-readers!

In these dark and strange times all the artists who so far visited my farm - the ones staying here and the ones who sadly cannot come right now - will share a little something to spread joy, hope, beauty, friendship ... in short, all the things that make this world still so beautiful.
We call our project "Feathers", inspired by Emily Dickinson's poem "Hope is the thing with feathers".
So, from now on we will regularly post one of these "Feathers" on Instagram. If you want to share a little something, too, send it to my website (mail@corneliafunke.com) and all together we will sing a song with what we create.

Much love to you all from Malibu and see how our Feathers gallery grows! 
Cornelia

"Cornelia Funke - A fabulous storyteller"

Monday, 3 February, 2020

Germany’s international broadcaster "Deutsche Welle" produced a Cornelia Funke documentary for its online magazine Arts.21.

Enjoy: www.dw.com

A new quiz!

Sunday, 26 January, 2020

The German original edition of Cornelia's Venice adventure "The Thief Lord" was published incredible twenty years ago! Let us take you back to the lagoon city. Step this way...

Merry Christmas, Frohe Weihnachten, Feliz Navidad

Tuesday, 24 December, 2019

Cornelia, Insa, Chus and Bashar wish you cosy and peaceful days together with your family and friends. We are all looking forward to a sparkling new "Barn Year"

The Yule light flies again

Our annual advent calendar opens on 1 December.
You can catch the little "Yule light" every day until Christmas Eve. This year each light carries one of Cornelia’s Christmas tree ornaments, which she has collected from her travels around the world.
They will decorate a very special tree: Cornelia’s Driftwood Christmas Tree.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Halloween and pumpkin.

They just belong together.

But why is that?

Cornelia's Artists in Residence

In February 2019, Cornelia started her 'Artists in Residence program', which is part of her foundation. Visit our Rim of Heaven section to see who has visited the farm since then.

An Update

Cornelia has written a little report for you on her current writing and on her plans for the rest of this year.

Did you know that ...

... when Cornelia was a child, she started playing the piano? At least she had practised for a year before she gave up on it. It was not because of lack of talent. It was because the piano was standing at her grandmother's home. Cornelia had to walk about half an hour to get there. "So my enthusiasm died down quickly. Today I can not even play two successive notes." Later on she took lessons in classical guitar. She never mastered the instrument, for, as she admits, it requires an incredible amount of discipline she could not keep. But while writing or revising her stories she is listening to classical guitar quite often.
The drawing, by the way, is by Cornelia's uncle Wolfgang Schmitz.
It shows Cornelia sitting at the piano.

Cornelia's new instagram account

Tuesday, 27 August, 2019

From today you find a little instagram logo at the bottom of our welcome page.

It will take you right to Cornelia's instagram gallery.

Looking forward to meeting you there!

New release!

Tuesday, 2 July, 2019

Today is the day! Harper Collins and Bloomsbury publish Pan's Labyrinth. The Labyrinth of the Faun.
You will find all details and an extract on the book's page here on Cornelia's website. Reviews: Goodreads / School Library Journal / Kirkus / The Guardian / Storgy Magazine

A Castle for Igraine

This summer, the German castle theatre company Stromberg brings Cornelia's story Igraine the Brave to the stage.

Did you know that...

Thursday, 3 January, 2019

Joanne K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter, has something to do with Dustfinger's death? How come? Well, some years ago Cornelia visited her British publisher Barry Cunningham. They talked about her book Inkspell which, at that time, Cornelia was writing. Cornelia knew how the story would go on over the next few pages, but beyond that she had no idea. However, later on, when she got in the taxi, she suddenly saw a picture in front of her inner eye, a picture that startled her: Dustfinger, dead. It cannot be, she thought, that I would kill one of my most beloved heroes. The strange thing with that inner picture was that only hours ago she had been discussing with Barry how J. K. Rowling 'killed' Sirius Black. Cornelia really got upset about how Rowling just swatted him like a fly. How could she??? "Maybe", she later admitted, "that conversation planted a seed in my head from which then grew the idea for Dustfinger's death." The idea kept alienating her for days until, while walking the dog, the thought stroke her, 'maybe he must die in order to save Farid'.
(Photo: © Warner Bros.)

Dear DragonRiders, MirrorTravellers, Inkworlders, Wild Chicks...

... and all you, who travel with me and wings made from printed pages.
I wish you all a 2019 that brings both peace and adventure, a few new ideas, new and old friends and a few seeds you'll plant to make this world a bit nicer.

With very best wishes, still covered in ash, from Malibu,
Cornelia

These are your wishes for the Xmas Reindeer

Wednesday, 26 December, 2018

We listed them all for "Santa Caribou"...

Just One More Sleep Til Christmas...

Thank you so much

Friday, 14 December, 2018

for all those warm-hearted birthday wishes, and for the fantastic birthday dragons

It made my day

Warmest wishes from California!

Cornelia

Only 12 days ...

Thursday, 13 December, 2018

... until Christmas.
If Cornelia's Xmas reindeer could grant you one wish, what would you wish for? Maybe you'd like to reveal it to us: mail@corneliafunke.com

HAPPY FIRST CANDLE

Have a cosy first Sunday of Advent.

From today, you will regularly find something here in the Barn Times to get into a Holiday Season Mood.

Nestle down on the sofa and have some cookies

Just to give you an idea...

Here are some videos Cornelia's gardener Alfonso sent us. They show Alfonso and his men while valiantly protecting Cornelia's animals and her farm from the Woolsey fire.

News from Cornelia

Sunday, 18 November, 2018

Jake, Tabby and I are still in exile in Venice, close to my son's house. We hope, that power will be restored in my street by tomorrow and that our part of Malibu will be opened for residents. I know, the donkeys and ducks are fine. Roberto, a friend of Alfonso Fuentes, my magical gardener, looks after them and my wonderful neighbors Larry and Laurel Thorne check on them too from time to time.

I went to the open part of Malibu today so Jake and Tabby could run on the beach. So much seems unchanged, but then suddenly there is a burned slope covered with the skeletons of torched trees. I will be grateful for every tree that is still alive on my land.

Love from Venice!
Cornelia

Rerelease of Angel Heart

On 7 December 2018, the classical music label Pentatone publishes the first international edition of Angel Heart. Originally released in 2013, Angel Heart is a music storybook narrated by Jeremy Irons with an original story by Cornelia and music by Luna Pearl Woolf. Learn more at angelheartmusicstorybook.com

California fire: Cornelia evacuated her farm...

Monday, 12 November, 2018

... and sent a message from Venice Beach to all of you. Read what she tells of what she experienced the past few days...

The Barn Brain

Wednesday, 7 November, 2018

Don't worry, Cornelia did not switch genres and dedicated herself to writing horror fiction or dark fantasy And Guesty is alive and kicking, too That new "decorative object" (have you already spotted it? That old school television) represents our new quiz section. From today you can test your knowledge of Cornelia's books. Guess, which book is first? There are more to come. We hope you have just as much fun as we had making it.

Something new to thumb through

We've put two new notebooks from Cornelia's collection under the workbench.

Podcast with Cornelia and Barry Cunningham

Listen to this a Scholastic podcast featuring Cornelia and her editor Barry Cunningham talking about Cornelia's return to Dragon Rider.

A beautiful blog entry on ...

Monday, 8 October, 2018

... "The Glass of Lead and Gold". Blogger Gordon Askew posted a very nice review of Cornelia's new story. You find it on Magic Fiction Since Potter.

* Breaking News *

The audiobook THE GRIFFIN’S FEATHER is shortlisted for the Digital Book World 2018 Award – The Super Bowl of Publishing. Keep your fingers crossed!

Did you know that ...

... in the first versions of Reckless it was not a mirror but a wooden door leading to the other world? When Cornelia started to write Reckless she, too, had the strange feeling of stepping through some kind of door. I can't help having the impression that behind that door I have discovered the world of someone else, and now I am writing about that very world, she said while reworking one of the earliest manuscripts. When writing down Jacob's story it almost was the same for her as for her hero: finding the way to another world. Later the symbol of the wooden door being the entrance to the fairytale world was replaced by the dark mirror.

The sequel of Dragon Rider

Wednesday, 1 August, 2018

The Griffin's Feather is now also available in US bookstores. It is out in Hardcover and for Kindle on July 31, 2018 from Scholastic imprint Chicken House.

Cornelia and the Sea Lions

Friday, 6 July, 2018

My foundation RIM OF HEAVEN has been supporting the California Wildlife Center since May. The pictures show you how they invited me to release one of two sea lions, which had received all the necessary treatment and care in the center, back to the wild.

I also watched while they an injured hawk was taught to fly again and how elephants seals returned to the ocean.

They are, by the way, much more hesitant to do so than the sea lions are.

Dragon Rider - The Opera

Saturday, 23 June, 2018

On 22 June, the Luebeck Theatre presented the world premiere of the opera adaptation of Cornelia’s Dragon Rider story. The company received standing ovations and we have beautiful photos for you...

One Week After

Tuesday, 12 June, 2018

Last Tuesday was World Environment Day. Actually, every day should be World Environment Day. This year's theme was 'beat plastic pollution'...

The Glass of Lead and Gold

Friday, 8 June, 2018

Pushkin Press will publish a new story by Cornelia in September.

Today is Earth Day

Saturday, 21 April, 2018

Maybe yesterday's Google Doodle caught your eye...

The Wild Chicks are about to "land" in the United States

Wednesday, 4 April, 2018

Breathing Books will republish Cornelia's entire Wild Chicks series. The books about the adventures of a gang of five girls and their sometimes more, sometimes less adverse boys' gang - the Piranhas, are very, very popular in Germany. The first two of the series - The Wild Chicks and The Wild Chicks: Class Trip - will come out in the US in May 2018.

May we introduce...

Tuesday, 13 February, 2018

... the Funke Farm Friends. Last autumn, Cornelia moved to an old avocado farm. Look who has moved in with her

Inkheart in Taiwan

Thursday, 25 January, 2018

In 2017, the Department of German at the National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology adapted "Inkheart" for the stage. Go to our film/theatre section, where you will find the video and more pictures of the stage premiere. 

Niklas Goodfellow jumps from stage onto big screen

Thursday, 16 November, 2017

The famous German Augsburg puppet theatre brings its stage version of Cornelia's "When Santa Fell To Earth" to cinemas in Germany and German-speaking countries

Don't Say Anything Now

Monday, 9 October, 2017

In September, Cornelia "answered" questions in a very different sort of interview

Cornelia's background music

Wednesday, 30 August, 2017

Does Cornelia like it quiet when she writes or does anything accompany her?

Just...

Monday, 28 August, 2017

... found this in my post box.

Cornelia's new picture book "Fabers Reise" (Faber's Journey") has just arrived! I have already browsed through the pages ...

Dragon cake for the queuers

Wednesday, 19 July, 2017

Within the scope of the exhibition Cornelia Funke. Zauberwelten at the Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, Cornelia gave a reading from her book "Dragon Rider". We took some happy photos of little Cornelia Funke book lovers at the following book signing. Enjoy...

Cornelia Funke. Zauberwelten

Tuesday, 18 July, 2017

Until 27 August, the Kunsthalle Karlsruhe presents a selection of Cornelia's illustrations and beyond. In July, Cornelia arrived from LA to see what the museum team has so fantastically accomplished.

"The Griffin's Feather"...

Sunday, 2 July, 2017

... is Waterstones' Children's Book of the Month!

Cornelia's comment on Twitter: "I am dancing with dragons to celebrate! A humbled bow and happy hum from Malibu!"

Dragon Rider: The Griffin's Feather...

Friday, 30 June, 2017

... will be published in July!

Cornelia's favourite books

Wednesday, 21 June, 2017

Many of you keep asking about Cornelia's personal story faves. Take a look into her "Treasure Chest" ...

The Book No One Ever Read

Thursday, 2 March, 2017

Cornelia's new picture book "The Book No One Ever Read" will be published on May 14!

Mirrorworld, Inkworld, and...

Thursday, 22 December, 2016

Cornelia on her projects 2017

Firedrake on stage

Tuesday, 15 November, 2016

The German Wuppertal Theatre for Young Audiences presents a fabulous pre Xmas stage adaptation of Cornelia's story "Dragon Rider". For more information, go to our Film and Theatre shelf.

Knitted Underwater Heroes

Tuesday, 11 October, 2016

In May 2017, Cornelia's underwater adventure story "Lilli and Fin are swimming to America" will be published by RandomHouseKids. Next to Cornelia's original illustrations, the book will include pictures of some charming knitted dolls by Rabbit Hole Knits designer Sara Elizabeth Kellner.

New home, new website

Saturday, 17 September, 2016

The website received a new polish at just the right time. This summer I moved from Los Angeles to Malibu. I have never been a city person. I missed the wild despite my wild garden, the wide horizons, the silence... As my son Ben said, when he saw my new home: "Now your whole house is your writing house, Mum." It is.

And I have space to paint on big canvases (listening to loud music) and a choir of dogs and coyotes echoing through the canyon that I now call home. I see the Pacific ocean on my left and the mountains on the right. I hear horses walking by from time to time and the number of cars passing my house during the day is seldom more than the number of fingers on my hands. I have a drummer amongst my neighbors who is very good, and at sunset bats are fluttering around my house. Let’s see whether you’ll soon taste all that in my stories.

O yes, I can walk to the Lagoon, and apart from my very nice human neighbors, I have pelicans, cormorants, seals and dolphins for company.

Greetings from the house among the trees, Cornelia

The Writing(House)Contest

Sunday, 11 September, 2016

The Winning Stories

Cornelia started her own German audiobook label!

Sunday, 11 September, 2016

Atmende Buecher (German for 'Breathing Books') is a joint project of Cornelia and Eduardo García, owner of the sound studio German Wahnsinn).

The little dragon quest

Tuesday, 9 August, 2016

Following the footprints of Firedrake

Do you believe in ghosts, Cornelia?

Thursday, 4 August, 2016

Cornelia spent some writing time with ghosthunters, ASGs and IRGs. But does she actually believe in ghosts?

Felt Fervour in the Chamber of Miracles

Monday, 1 August, 2016

"Suse Federschmid, feltmaker, Giantling Alley, Schwanstein": A letter sent to this address will be returned, but a feltmaker bearing the name Federschmid ... reads quite like a resident of MirrorWorld.

Ghost Knight: Reading and Exhibition Opening at Isny

Thursday, 28 July, 2016

In September 2011, Cornelia and German painter and illustrator Friedrich Hechelmann opened the exhibition of the original illustrations of Cornelia’s new book Ghost Knight.

Angels, Pigs and Pirates: A Picture Book Story

Tuesday, 26 July, 2016

Kerstin Meyer is an illustrator. She has illustrated many of Cornelia's books and her pictures always hit the right note for Cornelia's stories. We paid a visit to Kerstin's studio in Hamburg Altona.

Interview Barry Cunningham

Saturday, 23 July, 2016

"My job is to represent children" Barry Cunningham, Cornelia’s British publisher, tells about his favourite books, about his polar she-bear, a secret passion and his work as a publisher.

Voices behind the mirror

Thursday, 21 July, 2016

In June 2010, Rainer Strecker and the publishing company Oetinger recorded Cornelia’s new novel Reckless at a studio in Hamburg.