MA Children’s Publishing student Verity Jones takes in the magic of the highly acclaimed author’s rare visit to Bath
On a rainy Sunday in early October, an excitable crowd got cosy in Waterstones Bath to listen to the wise words of German author Cornelia Funke, the creator of the much-loved Inkheart, Dragon Rider and Mirror World series.
She was joined by publishing luminary Barry Cunningham, who is her editor and also the man who signed JK Rowling and published the first Harry Potter novel.
For this Bath Children’s Festival event, Cornelia and Barry came together to discuss everyone’s favourite topic: books. The room was filled with all ages, all eager to hear about The Colour of Revenge, Cornelia’s fourth book in the Inkheart series, released some 20 years after the first.
Characters in control
Funke’s respect for her craft truly astounds. Ever humble, each of her answers took the audience into a secret world as she shared how she approaches the highs and lows of her creative process.
She described her work as being at times a living entity, one that answered her own many questions; other times a labyrinth to be explored. But always her stories took on a life of their own long before any words marked the page.
“The hero of my story is always friendship”
Cornelia Funke
Nobody talks about their characters as living, breathing and being in control of their own stories quite like Cornelia does. It is as though she merely observes her characters on our behalf, making note of their attributes as you would a friend. She offers us a glimpse into a world only she has noticed, working less like a creator and more like a channel.
Sharing the magic
There was an undeniable sense of being somewhere special as we listened to the conversation flow so easily between Cornelia and Barry – a duo clearly attuned to each another after years of collaboration. And, about halfway through, we were treated to a surprise guest – Anna Funke, Cornelia’s daughter and the translator of The Colour of Revenge, who shared an insight into her process with an impromptu mother-daughter Q&A session.
“The story needs to be more powerful than me”
Cornelia Funke
By the time the event came to a close, the room was buzzing. As the readers queued up to get their books signed and share more time with Cornelia, it was clear how excited the author was to be back with her characters in Inkworld, along with her fans, young and old.
The Colour of Revenge by Cornelia Funke is published by Chicken House, £14.99.
To find out more about Cornelia, visit corneliafunke.com
