Why did Cornelia Funke write Inkheart?

Answer 1

It is explained in some copies, either as a foreward or as part of the 'About the Author' piece at the end however many copies aren't printed with it. Cornelia Funke has, like many other readers, always imagined being a part of the stories she was reading or having the characters as part of her own life. What she hadn't considered was the actual repercussions, what would really happen if someone just 'dropped' into a story. Would you be ready to handle the hygiene conditions of Arthurian England, for example?

With the "actual reality" of this fantasy came the idea for Inkheart. Cornelia Funke was already a published author and wrote the novel in German (it was later translated to English) but she found herself wondering at the character's fates, but one book (Inkspell) wasn't enough to finish the story so she wrote another (Inkdeath) and thus the Inkworld Trilogy was born.

Answer 2

Cornelia Funke wrote "Inkheart" as a love letter to books and reading. She wanted to explore the idea of characters coming to life from a book and the power of storytelling. The story was also inspired by the author's own experiences and love for literature.