Cornelia Maria Funke (born 10 December 1958) is a German author of children's fiction. Born in Dorsten, North Rhine-Westphalia, she began her career as a social worker before becoming a book illustrator. She began writing novels in the late 1980s and focused primarily on fantasy-oriented stories that depict the lives of children faced with adversity. Funke has since become Germany's "best-selling author for children." Often referred to as the "German J. K. Rowling," Funke was chosen by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in their 2005 list.