Burned books in Ukraine
On the 23rd of May a Russian missile strike destroyed one of the largest printing houses in Europe. I heard about it first from a magical Ukrainian illustrator, who is part of my residency program for artists. Her books were printed, too, at Factor Druk and when she learned the news, she wondered whether the seven people who died had also bound her books and looked at her images just a few weeks ago.
We all forget so easily how much the wars that are ravaging this world are connected also to our lives, although we may currently enjoy the privilege of peace. This attack is a terrible reminder that this world is one, and that the pain and death of the others is also our pain and death.
Let’s honor the books that burned in Kharkiv by donating to Ukrainian libraries, bookstores and publishers. Let’s mourn the people who died making them by buying books of Ukrainian artists.
It is so much easier to destroy than to create. Let’s keep on creating to fight those who only know how to destroy. There will be words and songs and images that’ll prove to be stronger than them.
"Hit particularly hard"
One of the artists from my Artist in Residence program was born and raised in Kharkiv. She sent me this message in response to my comment on the destruction of Factor Druk:
June 1, 2024
"All of us Kharkivites take so much pride in knowing that so many of the books we encounter and love throughout our lives are printed in our hometown. I have so many memories of flipping to the very last page to find the colophon, brimming with joy if I got to see the name of my city there in the tiniest of fonts.
The largest annual book-fair in Ukraine, Book Arsenal, opened its doors 2 days ago. Some of the salvaged books are now on display there, as much proud survivors as battered victims. Seeing the heaps of thousands upon thousands of thick tomes, science textbooks, picture books, and fairytales burned to ash is utterly terrifying and painful, evoking memories of book burnings I've read of in history books and my favorite novels my entire life.
Among the publishing houses printing at Factor Druk was "Ranok", which published most of my school books growing up, as well as a few of your books, Cornelia! Also "Folio" which published "Inkworld" in Ukrainian!
The CEO of Vivat Publishing, which belongs to the same holding as the destroyed printing press, has released an open letter, calling for support and donations, and launched a fundraiser for the victims and the restoration of the printing plant, the details of which can be found in said open letter.
This Ukrainian project has created a map of Ukrainian Bookshelves (in libraries mostly) worldwide:
https://chytomo.com/en/special_project/ukrainian-bookshelves-worldwide-en/
There are also a few possibilities to purchase books printed at Factor Druk in Europe and in the States, for instance:
https://movoslovo.com (this German online store has even launched its own campaign to support Faktor Druk)
There is no getting used to the constant horrible news from back home, but this attack, in its magnitude, on literature, art, education, culture has hit particularly hard and will surely go down in history. So I'm thankful that we can bring this up here!"
A new image maker
Our "Magical Image Makers" have been joined by a new impressive artist: the Taiwanese illustrator and animator PeiHsin Cho. Drop by and get inspired: corneliafunke.com/en/stories/magical-image-makers/peihsin-cho/
23 June
From June 20 – 30, 2024, the International Literature Festival Heidelberg "feeLit." will take place in the Spiegelzelt on University Square. Renowned German-speaking and international authors present their literary works.
On 23 June at 3 pm (CEST), there will be a live zoom event with Cornelia. She reads from her latest book "Die Farbe der Rache" ("Inkheart 4. The Colour of Revenge"). The English edition will be published in October.
All events take place in the Spiegelzelt, on Universitätsplatz (Universitätsplatz 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany), unless otherwise stated.
For further information, go to feelit.de/en
7 July
Cornelia attends this year's LITpotsdam. On 7 Juli at 12 noon (CEST), she reads from her latest book "Die Farbe der Rache" (The Colour of Revenge — the English edition will be published this autumn). Literary critic Denis Scheck will talk with her about the danger and beauty of literature.
For more information, go to litpotsdam.de
Me and my Artists in Residence send greetings from 2024 Bologna Children's Book Fair
We'll have some exciting news to share soon...
Cornelia gives you a peep inside the artists' studio at her artist residency in Tuscany.
Wishing you all a year filled with kindness, hope, peace, strength and confidence!
Cornelia rallied all animals of Fraggina to wish you a wonderful Christmas!
7 October
Bookstock is the largest literature live event of its kind. It takes place at the Bavaria Studios in Munich. Mona Ameziane and Tarkan Bagci will host the two-day event, welcoming international guests from the worlds of literature, music, film and television.
The festival stream will be available, for free, on YouTube.
Cornelia will join on Zoom on October 7.
Cornelia receives the Karl Kübel Award
The Karl Kübel Foundation presents the Karl Kübel Award to honor well known persons in public life, for their dedicated support of children and families. This year the foundation presents the award to Cornelia for her multifaceted engagement supporting children and families. On the Foundation’s websiteyou can find out more about the award and the reasons for the selection of the recipient. The award ceremony will take place on September 29th 2023 in Bensheim, Germany.
I had forgotten how much I love Venice! But she reminded me quickly...
21 October
Cornelia and German actor Rainer Strecker read from Cornelia's new book "Tintenwelt 4. Die Farbe der Rache" (Inkworld 4. The Colour of Revenge); reading: Saal Harmonie (Congress Center, Ebene 2), 12:30 — 1:30 PM CEST; the reading will be followed by a book signing (Room Conclusio, 1:30 to 2:45 PM CEST)
Event is hosted by Dressler Verlag und Atmende Bücher; for all Inkworld fans aged 12 and older.
Watercolor sketch done in Fraggina and Volterra in July 2023, during a one week stay, by Cornelia's cousin @gabrielschmitz.art
Anticipation!
Pre-order of the Inkheart limited edition starts today at 4 PM UK time. Go to www.booksillustrated.com
Summer greetings from Tuscany! Love, Cornelia
An illustrated letterpress limited edition of Inkheart
Dear Readers!
Being an illustrator myself I am so thrilled that for its twentieth anniversary Inkheart will be honored with a handbound and lushly illustrated edition. I am sure it will be so beautiful that it will make readers wonder whether Meggie’s father Mo, who was not only a legend as a robber but also as a the bookbinder, made the 626 copies with his own hands.
Books Illustrated is the kind of publisher every writer dreams of. There is such passion in their bookmaking. They have taken me step by step with them on this truly illuminating adventure and even respected my wish to use bindings that don’t claim the lives of calves or other creatures.
All copies will be signed by me and more importantly by Alice Cao, the illustrator who will make the pages breathe with her art. I have often wished to live in an age where most books were illustrated and the word and the image always sang together. I am so thrilled to hear Inkheart being sung by Alice’s lines and colors. I can’t wait to hear the first reactions of readers who’ll claim one of the rare copies.
The book will be published at the end of 2023.'
Join the Inkheart newsletterhttp://eepurl.com/h-pVIHfor details on the pre-order this May and check out the posts on Instagram @booksillustratedltd
Sending my best wishes,
Your Furry, Feathery, Hoofed and Finny Friends are back
In response to sooo many requests, we have brought your furry, feathery, hoofed and finny friends "back home". And we are looking forward to receiving many new pictures of your companions. So, HERE is our gallery.
SCINTILLA: ESMoA exhibition of the work of Cornelia's Artists in Residence
ESMoA, Los Angeles: The El Segundo based Experimentally Structured Museum of Art is pleased to collaborate again with Cornelia for the upcoming "Experience 53: SCINTILLA", April 27-September 16, 2023. For many years, Cornelia has inspired younger artists to find their own way into the world of storytelling. "Experience SCINTILLA" takes the opportunity to dive into this incredible network of young talent. Through the works on display, visitors can experience how an inspiring environment of like-minded people and an environment in magical places like Bonsall in Malibu or now Fraggina in Tuscany can be activated for a new generation of storytelling. SCINTILLA will showcase a wide variety of incredible works. Visual poetry pairs with expressive storytelling. Intricate drawings are juxtaposed with spirited woodcuts. Vibrant puppet sculptures find a way to artistic tarot cards. ESMoA is certain that SCINTILLA will open the door to everyone's imagination. For those unable to make the trip to LA, the ESMoA.org website will provide an opportunity to at least get a glimpse through a virtual tour.
My new book "Das grüne Königreich" (The Green Kingdom) is published on 14 April by my German publishing group Oetinger.
March 8: Writing time in Berlin. Another three editings of "The Colour of Revenge".
"1001 languages on bilingual-picturebooks.org“ - An amazing project
Dear Readers!
I have known the Book Pirates for a long time now. They have a physical location dedicated to children’s literature right in the beautiful historic center of Lübeck. Their Team offers educational events as well as workshops and readings for children, teenagers and adults. You can find their extensive and colorful event program on their website.
Since 2013 the Book Pirates have been running a really special project: 1001 Languages:bilingual-picturebooks.org. Children and Teenagers all over the world put together picture books for the project and gift them to other children. That is what gives the project its soul.
I have committed to being a patreon of this great project for this year. I know with how much enthusiasm the Book Pirates support and feed a passion for books and writing and I want to support them expanding their efforts on an international scale.
I can’t wait to see the results – and for their visit to Fraggina. I have invited them to come to Volterra with a group of teenagers next year to work on a picture book while they are staying with me.
On the project’s website you can find out everything about the great work of this organization. Maybe you would also like to be a part of it yourself and help the Book Pirates to continue to thrive. You can volunteer to do translations for them or make a donation. You can find all the information you’ll need here: https://www.bilingual-picturebooks.org/en/support-us
Or you can even drop by in person, Lübeck is a wonderful town that smells like marzipan wherever you go :) And Martin Gries and his Team would love to meet you.
Cornelia is one of the newly awarded RSL International Writers
The Royal Society of Literature is the UK’s charity for the advancement of literature. The RSL International Writers programme celebrates the contribution of writers across the globe to literature in English through a new, life-long honour, recognising the power of literature to transcend borders and bring people together.
Most loved books
Dear Readers!
I’ve read so many books in my life that one could fill a library with it (well, I did read half of the library in the small town I came from) and they all taught me something about writing and story telling.
But there are a few that were unforgettable and so wonderful that I want to read them over and over again. I can’t list them all – luckily there are many of them. Here is a small but precious selection.
T.H.WHITE: THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING
The best fantasy book I know. Sad and funny, silly and wise. I wish I had written it.
I wish I had not read it yet so that I could read it again for the first time! Though it enchants me each time I read it again. One of the best villainS ever in there and for sure some of the best heroes. And no, life isn’t fair.
"Skellig" is the story of a boy, who finds an angel in a rattly garage. Well, the creature kind of looks like an angel, but ... (this one, for example loves Chinese food and dark beer!). He is anything but fair and bright, but he is one of the most impressive angels I have ever found in literature.
Well, I really don't know which of his books I would recommend first: "Neverwhere", "The Graveyard Book", "Stardust"? I love all of his stories. I listened to his audiobooks while illustrating "Reckless".
Happy reading!
Sending my best wishes,
Do you remember?
We've added some more articles to our archive. Stories we fondly remember: https://corneliafunke.com/en/stories
Our Quiz Show is back!
Step into the guestroom and find our quiz show with a sparkling new design AND a new add-on.
Cornelia has moved - and her website got a makeover.
A former Agriturismo in Tuscany will be Cornelia's home and meeting place for her "Artists in Residence" for the next few months.
Cornelia landed in Pisa on 1 September 2021. She has bought an estate nearby that for many years had been an Agriturismo. Here she plans to continue her Artist in Residence Project — initially for one year.
Below you will find a letter from Cornelia in which she explains how she decided to move from California to Italy. So a lot has changed, and a lot will continue to change. Not least her website.
In California, on Cornelia's farm, there used to be an old barn that she had turned into a writing house. And for a long time, the website looked just like that barn. But now the barn is no longer suitable. Everything on the estate in Tuscany is slowly coming together. The furniture is still on its way by ship, and Cornelia is also only gradually settling into her new home, but she is eagerly organizing and rearranging the former farm. The garage has already been converted into a studio, the old tavern got a new kitchen and the equipment for the recording studio is complete. At the same time we have been trying to redesign page by page for you. We decluttered a bit here and there, created more clarity — at least we hope that you will find your way around and that you will like it. Only the guestroom needs another fresh coat of paint and a bit more cosiness.
If you'd like to comment or send us a message before we open the guestroom and guestbook again, we are looking forward to your emails: mail@corneliafunke.com.
A very special guest
Hyvin worked on her book about her escape from Aleppo here, assisted by her wonderful teacher Birgit Albers — and a bit by me.
Anja's owls first headed in the wrong direction...
... but finally they found us to be part of our "Draw A Bird Day Collection", too.
Lavender harvest at a friend’s farm. From 6-8 before the bees come!:)
To my dear readers
Dear Readers!
(Volterra, September 2021)
I am sure most of you know that for by now 4 years I have lived on the Wild West Coast, or California, as they named it, in a small town called Malibu.
I lived through fires and floods on the old Avocado Farm I bought. It was a good place to be at when Covid changed all our lives and it taught me about donkeys and rattlesnakes, about barn owls and redtail hawks. It made me realize that I would love to invite young artists from all over the world to talk and work with them and to give them a place where they can create.
Bonsall, as I called my Farm, has taught me so many things that I will always carry it with me. It gave me great happiness, many new friends, wonderful neighbours and the best avocados I will ever taste. But now I decided to move to another farm, on a hill in Tuscany, and have olive instead of avocado trees.
Why?
The first reason is man made. Our climate is changing because humans forgot how to live in this world with respect for the others who share this world with us. We claim to be more clever than anyone else, but our actions show another truth. We are the only ones who don’t know how to live in this world without destroying it.
There had been no rain for months where I lived. The fires are raging almost every day somewhere on that coast by now, even high up North. Dead forests, killed by the drought, feed them, but where there are no trees there is no rain. Without plants there is no life on the planet.
So…. I sold my farm to an organisation that wants to restore the land and plant healthy food and will hopefully keep the magic of this place alive. And I move to a very old house on a hill near an even older town in Italy, with many olive trees and a creek and a well to continue, what I started in California: I will invite artists from all over the world to stay and work in 4 little apartments that once were the pig stables (that’s true!).
I’ll have all my artist friends come to teach music, animation, writing and whatever else we come up with. There will hopefully be rain and no fires, but let’s see! The world is changing everwhere. I look forward to be back in Europe as I miss my friends and family there. And I know all the wonderful friends I found in America will come and visit – and are luckily very exited that I move to Italy.
Well, most of my characters end up in Italy in my books, so it is not that much of a surprise, is it? And my Italian will hopefully soon be as fast as it once was!
Sending my best wishes,
An Email from the frozen world
How is Cornelia’s book "Dragon Rider" related to Antarctica? Two new (and very special) articles in our "Stories" section unravel the mystery . Curious? This way, please ....
STORIES
A new section for Cornelia's website
For over a decade of corneliafunke.com we have been telling stories about Cornelia and her books.
The most interesting ones you will find in our new "Stories" section. Enjoy!
Draw A Bird Day
Draw A Bird Day is April 8th of every year. It is an unofficial holiday, but it has been celebrated for over 70 years. It originated in the United Kingdom. You can find the background story HERE. On Instagram we asked Cornelia's followers to share their birds with us. And here they are! Thanks to Andrea, Nadine, Ani, Nelly, Jana, and Elli 
Still one of my favourites...
My writing room is almost ready for The Color of Revenge:)
Draw A Bird Day Birds - back for more
... and in case you feel like drawing a bird on a run-of-the-mill-day, we are looking forward to more pictures: mail@corneliafunke.com
