A German writer and author of children’s books. She writes mainly in the fantasy genre.

Before becoming a writer, Cornelia Funke worked as a social worker and dealt with issues affecting children with disabilities. It was then that she truly realized the value of stories that helped her wards escape sad reality and carry their imaginations away into magical worlds. She also studied book illustration at the Hamburg College of Design. She began her career in children’s books as an illustrator. One day Cornelia decided to try writing something herself, and it turned out that she enjoyed creating stories more than drawing. Cornelia Funke wrote her first story at the age of 35. That was the beginning of her writing career.

Cornelia Funke has two adult children, Anna and Ben. She now lives in Los Angeles. By the writer’s own admission, her home is full of books, DVDs of films she enjoys watching, and all kinds of dragons.