TR&W Issue 20

With a new instalment on the bestsellers list, Inkheart author Cornelia Funke and publisher Barry Cunningham share the story of a beloved book series... TRW: It’s been 21 years since Inkheart was first published in the UK. Can you tell us a little about when and how you first started working together? Barry: Well, it’s a famous story in our world, but it comes back to readers. Because it all started with a young girl writing to tell me that a book she had read in Germany was just as good as Harry Potter . She listed the ingredients – just like a cake! – and I was intrigued… So then I discovered Cornelia Funke and The Thief Lord , which was the first book we worked on together. Later, we collaborated on many more – and finally on the ultimate book series for young readers, Inkheart. It’s a series that is all about reading: characters go in and out of stories, influencing their lives, loves and judgements. And the books pose the question, Can our favourite stories help us to rewrite our own? Cornelia: Well, my first memory is a message coming out of my fax machine. Yes, that’s how long Barry and I have been working together! It came from a publisher who claimed to look like Bob Hoskins (the actor who I had based Victor in The Thief Lord on) and that this resemblance, along with the name of his publishing house, proved we were destined to work together. I honestly didn’t believe the Bob Hoskins part – though I have to say there is a resemblance. But Chicken House… hm, that was an intriguing name, as the series that made me famous in Germany is called The Wild Chicks, and I have owned chickens for many years. TRW: Have there been any particularly memorable moments over the last 21 years of working together? Barry: Many, many! Of marathon signing sessions, of New York Times number one bestsellers and all that razzamatazz. But there are two or three big ones: the wonderful young readers who tell Cornelia that they keep her books under their pillows so that they can dream together; the beautiful drives in the Hollywood hills, listening to Cornelia speak about her love of nature and art. And, of course, memories of editing with Cornelia. Her writing is like a wild beast – enchanting, tricky, full of twists and turns and moments of magic – that won’t be tied down and insists on telling her stories the way the characters want it. Cornelia: What can I add to this glorious and very flattering answer? No-one knows more about music than Barry, and I remember an unforgettable visit to his house, discussing who sang the best cover version of Hallelujah . His home gives you the feeling that you climbed into an enchanted story and whispers of a passion for books in every corner. I remember walking through London, being still quite a young, inexperienced writer and so grateful to have Barry by my side, ignoring the mistakes of my school English and giving me the courage to talk to journalists and sales reps. I hadn’t REALISED how much I MISSED them all 60 | www.teachwire.net