Katharina Krause Clara's Prize
I’m Katharina Krause, 19 years young and live in Grünstadt, a small town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. After I passed my Abitur, I decided to spend a year volunteering at my old elementary school. Besides this very rewarding job, I also sing in a choir, play the piano and the church organ, and love to read books.
What brought you to writing?
I’m not really sure myself. I loved reading when I was a child. I could get lost in books for hours, and from that grew the desire to tell a story of my own. But the definitive trigger was a short story competition that my German teacher at the time told me about. And once I started, I couldn’t stop bringing characters to life.
How did you to come to take part in Clara’s Prize?
Actually, my school was involved here as well. This time it was my English teacher who sent me the call for submissions. And since I already had some experience with writing competitions and had long been a big fan of Cornelia Funke’s books, I decided to go or it.
How did you like your time at Fraggina? Did you find inspiration there?
I don’t know if I even had specific expectations of what it would be like at Fraggina, when I boarded the plane to Volterra. But one thing is for sure, I was completely enchanted from the moment I got there. The whole property radiates so much creativity and liveliness, I had never experienced anywhere like it. Every room is joyful with a touch of mysterious, which draws you in right away. But for me the best things about the experience were the people I had the pleasure of meeting and the conversations I had. Everyone there has a fascinating talent or a burning passion, and you can learn so much. And all the artists who have visited before, have left something behind, which you can consciously or subconsciously sense in the place. It is incredibly exciting to discover all these different aspects of Fraggina. So yes, my time there was not only inspiring but also wonderfully motivating.
What did you take home with you?
Besides a lot of intense impressions and wonderful memories, I also took home a newfound understanding and awareness of writing. I think that at this place where art and language are so highly valued, I realized that writing does not have to be a lonely pursuit. Sharing stories with each other, makes them twice as valuable. And writing for others, not only for yourself is a real privilege. I learned that in many small moments during my stay.
"Schnapsidee"
