Cornelia Funke

Second, there are so many magical places in books that you can't go to, like Hogwarts and Middle Earth, so I wanted to set a story in a place where children can actually go.

If I was a book, I would like to be a library book, so I would be taken home by all different sorts of kids.

I don't like to eat the same dish every day, so I read very different things.

My grandmother told stories; she was very good at that.

I always thought it hadn't influenced me very much, but I heard from many people from England that many motives from German fairytales are to be found in my books.

A library book, I imagine, is a happy book.

I like a composer called Henry Purcell, and I love to listen to Neil Young.

I love to read, I love to watch movies, and I love to be with my children.

I love to read aloud.

Yes, I always imagined living in other places.

And I always read the English translation and always have conversations with my translator, for example about the names. I always have to approve it.

I just did a picture book called The Wildest Brother on Earth, and you will find both of my children in there.